Brothers Conflict
by ClaudizzleMcShizzle
Summary: Kuroodia is Ema Asahina's older sister. After avoiding meeting her brothers for a year, Ema finally convinces Kuroodia to live with them. Will the brothers like her? Will they welcome her to the family, like they had Ema? Will they accept her as their sister? Will she be able to bear it... when the brothers start making moves on her?
1. The Sister

Kuroodia stared at the Asahina household, awed by its size. She looked back down at the paper her sister, Ema, had sent her.

 _Yep, this is the place_ , she thought, throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder.

Kuroodia walked up to the door, and hesitated. She held out the key to the house in her hand.

'Here's the key to the house! I won't tell our brothers you're coming; let's surprise them! Love, your sister.' Kuroodia read over the note again, shaking her head and smiling. _Our brothers._ Kuroodia felt excited and scared at the same time. _Will they like me? Will they welcome me to the family, like they welcomed Ema?_

Kuroodia and Ema's parents had died when they were very young, and the sisters were separated for years. Later on, Ema's adoptive father had introduced them to each other, after meeting Kuroodia at a traveling convention. She is eight years older than Ema, but they became close as soon as they met.

When Kuroodia had found out she was about to have thirteen brothers, she was less than thrilled at first. She had refused to go to the wedding, and made Ema and her adoptive father keep her existence a secret. But, after living in the Asahina household for a year, some begging, and a promise of a nice family, Ema managed to convince her sister to live with her at the Asahina residence.

Kuroodia snapped out of her trance, and chuckled to herself. _Well, whatever happens, I'm glad I'll finally have a family._ And with that, Kuroodia took a deep breath, put the key into the lock, and opened the door.

All of the Asahina brothers sat on the couch, as Ema stood in front of them.

Kaname stretched out his legs. "As you know, I love my adorable little sister's surprises, but what could possibly be so important that it necessitates all of us to be at home?"

Ema smiled. "That's why it's a surprise, Kaname!"

Tsubaki sat back, his arms behind him. "Ah, yes, we all do enjoy your surprises, sis." Azusa leaned forward. "But I'm sure this will be the best surprise she'll give us, since we're all here."

The sound of the front door opening filled the house. Ema jumped up, excited. She ran down the hall. "They're finally here! Hold on, just wait here, guys…!"

The confused brothers looked at each other. Iori spoke up. "Did she just say 'they'…?"

Ema came back into view, gesturing for a beautiful young woman with long, dark chocolate hair to enter the room. She was wearing a brown leather jacket, a black dress, and black high heels. She had tan skin and soft brown eyes. The brothers stared at her, surprised and shocked. Finally, Masaomi broke the silence. "Ema, who…?"

Ema beamed proudly. "Brothers… this is Kuroodia, my older sister."

The brothers blinked, looked at each other, and yelled all at once; "HUH?!"

"I, uh…" Subaru stuttered, blushing.

"You are so sneaky, aren't you, sister? Keeping this a secret," Hikaru said to Ema, winking at Kuroodia.

"Kuroodia-chan is your sister, Ema-chan? Yay, now I have _two_ big sisters!" Wataru cheered.

"Whoa, now we have, like, two super cute sisters, Azusa!" Tsubaki said to Azusa, grinning.

"Oh, please, Tsubaki. Although, I do have to admit, she is rather gorgeous…" Azusa said, gazing at Kuroodia, blush dotting his cheeks.

"'Rather gorgeous'? She's more like smoking _hot,_ " Kaname said, winking at her.

"Are you kidding me?! _Another_ hot chick in the house?!" Yusuke yelled, red faced and embarrassed.

"You all need to shut up," Natsume sighed. "See? She's confused."

"I agree. We're being even worse than we were when Ema came along," Iori added.

"Alright, that's enough out of all of you." Ukyo snapped at all of the brothers. He stood up, and turned to Ema and Kuroodia. "Ema… this is rather sudden. And how did we not know that you had a sister?"

Masaomi also stood, cutting in. "Well, I think we should let her sit down first." He smiled at Kuroodia. "She looks rather tired… would you like something to drink? Something to eat, perhaps?"

Kuroodia managed a weak smile. "A cup of tea would be nice." She bowed. "Thank you."

A little while later, all of the Asahina family and Kuroodia were sitting together on the couch. "So…" Louis said, leaning forward. "You were separated from Ema when your parents died, huh?"

Kuroodia nodded. "Yes. I met Rintaro at a traveling convention in Europe, and he introduced me to her about two or three years ago."

Yusuke looked over at her. "Man, that's deep."

Ukyo frowned. "But… that means you both knew each other before our mother and Rintaro were married. Why didn't you tell us?"

Kuroodia blushed. "Well… honestly, at first I didn't _want_ more family. I made Ema and Rintaro keep my existence a secret from you. I suppose…" She faltered, looking down at the ground. "I was scared to lose more family." She looked up at the Asahina brothers. "I was also afraid that you wouldn't accept me as part of the family…"

The brothers all shifted, surprised. Kuroodia smiled. "But…" she continued, looking over at Ema. "When Ema told me about you and how much of a good family you were…" She gasped, as Tsubaki leaned over to kiss Kuroodia on the cheek. He leaned back, his eyes sparkling.

"We gladly welcome you to the family, my beautiful sister," He said, right before Azusa whacked him on the head. "Ow…!" Tsubaki said, his head almost in Kuroodia's lap. He looked up at her and winked as Azusa dragged him back to his side of the couch.

"Tsubaki," Ukyo said, pushing his glasses up and shaking his head. "It would be nice if you wouldn't make a move on every woman that enters this household."

"Oh, come on, Ukyo," Tsubaki whined. "Even _you_ have to admit she's a knockout."

"Well…" Ukyo said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ema looked over at Kuroodia, trying to change the subject for Kuroodia's sake. "Kuroodia's talents and jobs are amazing! Aren't they, Kuroodia?"

Kuroodia blushed. "I guess so." She looked at the Asahina brothers. "But, I have to say, your brothers have some pretty interesting jobs, too."

"What do you profession in, Kuroodia?" Masaomi said, smiling over at her.

"Well… my main job is civil engineering. I'm also a part time musician, writer, and swimmer." She said, blushing.

"Whoa," Yusuke and Wataru breathed. Futo crossed his legs, leaning back. "Musician, huh? You sing or something?" He smirked. "Although, you'd be _perfect_ for modeling. You've got the body and looks for it."

Kuroodia laughed. "Don't even try, _Futo-kun._ I know all about your tactless flirting." She smirked back. "And, although I do sing a bit, I'm mostly a trumpet player and composer."

Futo grinned. "I'm liking this chick more and more!"

"So… you're a musician, writer, and athlete, but your main profession is engineering." He smiled. "Smart girl."

Hikaru nudged Ukyo. "Uh-oh, looks like the 'Super-serious lawyer' is eyeing our sister! Although, I can see why you'd have a taste for her." He looked over at her, grinning. "She's talented, smart, charming, and beautiful. With her and Ema in the house, there's no way any of us men will keep our wits together!"

Ukyo choked. "What are you saying, you-"

Masaomi interrupted again. "Well, it's getting pretty dark." He looked over at Ema. "Ema, if you wouldn't mind, could you lend Kuroodia some clothes? She may move into the spare room we have next to yours."

"Actually, that won't be necessary." Kuroodia held up her duffel bag. "We've sort of been planning this for a while; I don't own many clothes, so I didn't pack much."

Hikaru smiled. "Prepared and practical. She truly is a genius."

"Ema, since this _is_ your surprise, you wouldn't mind showing her the different parts of the house, would you?" Masaomi continued.

"Of course I wouldn't! In fact, I'll show her where she can bathe right now," she said, pulling Kuroodia's arm.

"Wait," Kuroodia said, staying put. The brothers muttered in wonderment, questioning why she wasn't moving.

Ukyo put a hand on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Kuroodia looked over at him and smiled. "I just wanted to say…" she bowed to the brothers. "Thank you for welcoming me into this family. I hope you will accept me some day as your sister."

All of the brothers smiled at her. Masaomi stepped forward.

"We already have," he said, patting her on the head. Ema smiled, and pulled her along.

Once Kuroodia bathed, changed, and laid down on her bed, she smiled to herself.

 _I don't know where this is going, or how I'll fit in this family…_ she thought to herself. _But I'm already happy I've got so many brothers and my sister at once._ She opened her eyes. _I've got this._


	2. The Run

Kuroodia woke up at least two hours before dawn the following day. She only managed to sleep for a few hours; she couldn't quite be comfortable in her new home. As she laid in silence, staring at her ceiling in the darkness, she finally turned on the light and got changed into her jogging clothes.

As she walked down the stairs, she was surprised to see a small desk lamp on in the living room. When she peeked in, she saw Ukyo sorting through a pile of papers with one hand, and typing notes with the other on his laptop.

Kuroodia walked in, throwing a towel over her shoulder. "Good morning, Ukyo," she said, sitting next to him on the couch.

Ukyo smiled at her. "I'm surprised you're up this early."

"Same goes for you."

"I have a complicated case to work on. Couldn't sleep?" He asked, concerned.

"Nah," she lied. Then she smiled. "That's right; you're the lawyer of the house." She laughed. "You're also the motherly figure of the family, so I heard."

Ukyo smiled more genuinely. "I was, until Ema came along. She's practically taken over."

Kuroodia laughed again. "Yeah, that's my sister for you."

"You're older than her, right?" Ukyo asked. Kuroodia nodded. "So, how old are you, exactly?"

"I'm eight years older than her, so I'm twenty five." she replied.

"Really? You look rather young." Ukyo said.

Kuroodia shoved his arm. "Ukyo, don't even try to flatter me like that!"

Ukyo laughed. "I mean it. You don't look that old."

"Same could go for you, 'Super-serious lawyer'," she laughed again.

Their eyes met. Kuroodia blushed. Ukyo started to lean forward, and then they both heard someone clear their throat behind them.

"Uh, am I interrupting?" Subaru said, eyeing them both.

Ukyo and Kuroodia jumped back from each other. "No, of course not! We were just having a conversation," Ukyo said, his neck turning red.

"Uh… okay?" Subaru replied, and turned to Kuroodia. "Hey, you're in jogging clothes. Were you about to head out?"

"Actually, yes," Kuroodia said, standing up. She looked back at Ukyo, who's face had become serious. "Oh, come on, Ukyo." She flashed him a smile. "Cheer up!"

Ukyo finally managed to smile back. "Of course. Have a good time with your jog."

Once Subaru and Kuroodia left the house, they started jogging towards the park. They were silent for a moment, and then Subaru spoke up.

"I, uh. I wasn't really expecting Ema to have an older sister. Netherless, like you." he said, staring straight ahead.

Kuroodia looked over at him, surprised. "Is that a bad thing?"

Subaru looked off to the side. "Not really, I suppose. You just caught me off guard."

Kuroodia laughed. "I think I caught everyone off guard."

Subaru stayed silent for a moment. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Do you like Ukyo?"

Surprised, Kuroodia looked over at him. He looked back. She finally gave a sigh, and looked straight ahead. "Honestly, we're family. And I'm glad that I'm a part of it."

"You're not answering my question."

"I know I'm not answering your question."

This time, Subaru sighed. "I think I found out another one of those talents of yours; how stubborn you can be."

"Thanks; I'll take it as a compliment."

They rounded the corner near the pond, and continued. "Honestly, I don't know how I feel about him. He's mature, and handsome, I'll say that much, but I really don't know." Kuroodia finally said. Subaru said nothing.

Kuroodia came to a stop in front of a lamp post. She was panting hard, and Subaru put a hand on her back. "Hey, are you okay? Did you run too hard? Do you have asthma or something?"

Kuroodia looked up at him, smiling as she breathed hard between words. "Nah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. I've got an iron deficiency." She shook her head, laughing. "I probably should've been smart and gotten something to eat before we left."

"Yeah, you probably should've," Subaru said, frowning. That's when they both heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, does she need help?"

When they both looked up, they were surprised to see who it was. "Natsume," Subaru said, glaring at his brother.

"Now's not the time, Subaru," he said, leaning over to feel Kuroodia's forehead. "Is she sick? Should we call a doctor?"

Kuroodia jumped up, nearly falling over in the process. "No, I'm fine. Really!" She started jogging ahead of them, to prove she was fine. "See?"

"Kuroodia, don't run that fast! Wait for us…!" Subaru called, as the two Asahina brothers chased after her.

They began jogging together, Natsume in between Subaru and Kuroodia, and Kuroodia on the outer edge. Kuroodia was laughing at something Natsume had said, and Subaru felt a twange of jealously. He stuck his foot out to trip Natsume, and, as Natsume fell, knocked into Kuroodia.

"Wha-" was all she managed to say before falling into the pond. As she fell, she saw both of the brothers' hands reaching for her, but both missed. Her head went under.

Luckily, being a trained swimmer, she swam to the top, unharmed. But, the brothers still worried, and it took Kuroodia long enough to get to the top that Natsume had jumped in to save her.

As the two waded, spitting out water and choking, Subaru peered over at them on his knees. "Are you okay, Kuroodia?! I'm sorry! This was my fault!"

"That little punk…" Natsume muttered. Kuroodia called over to Subaru. "No, I'm fine! Really! I'm a trained swimmer!" She looked over at Natsume, smiling. "Are you okay, Natsume-kun?"

Natsume blinked in astonishment, and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine." They started to wade back to the sidewalk, where Subaru was kneeling. "But let's get out of this water before we catch a cold."

Kuroodia laughed. "Good idea, Natsume." 

**A/N:  
**

Thank you to those who read my first and second chapter! Wow, things have really taken a turn, haven't they...? I wonder how Kuroodia's doing... **  
**

Me: Hey, Kuroodia, you hanging in there?

Kuroodia: (Shivers) I need a towel...

Natsume: Here, you can take my sweatshirt. (Hands sweatshirt to Kuroodia) I left it on the sidewalk, so it didn't get wet.

Subaru: Hey, take my sweatshirt! It's my fault, anyway!

Natsume: (Scoffing) Yeah, if you hadn't been so jealous, this wouldn't have even happened...

Subaru: S-shut up!

Me: Please continue to support the series! (Hits both Subaru and Natsume on the head)

Natsume and Subaru: Ow! What was that for?

Me: For being idiots, that's what! Now go and get that poor woman a towel!


	3. The Ride

When Ukyo opened the front door to discover Kuroodia and Natsume soaked and Subaru's face bruised, looking guilty, he couldn't help but stare in shock.

"Um, Ukyo?" Natsume said, knocking on Ukyo's head. "You in there?"

Ukyo swatted his hand away. "What on Earth happened? Why are you two soaked, and why does Subaru look so guilty…?"

Natsume sighed. "I'd much rather tell you once we're dry, Ukyo. I don't want her to catch a cold," he said, gesturing to Kuroodia, who had started to shiver.

Ukyo widened the door. "Kuroodia and Natsume, go to the living room. I'll get you some tea and have you dry off. Subaru, go get some towels for them."

Subaru nodded. As all three entered the house, Subaru leaned over to Kuroodia. "I'm so, so sorry… this was my fault."

Kuroodia smiled, and whispered back. "It's fine. I just happened to be near the water. Besides, shouldn't Natsume be the one to apologize to? After all, you tripped him, not me…"

"Yeah, _Subaru,_ " Natsume said accordingly, glaring at him.

Subaru gritted his teeth, but with Kuroodia standing there, bowed to Natsume. "I-I'm sorry, Natsume."

Kuroodia smiled as they entered the living room. Subaru had rushed off to get towels, Ukyo was making tea, and Ema, hearing what had happened, was getting them both a change of clothes.

"Ukyo, really, it's fine," Kuroodia called to the kitchen. "I just need to shower real quick and get changed. I have to get to my engineering meeting in an hour."

Subaru walked in. "Here's some towels," he said, draping one over Kuroodia's shoulders and handing the other to Natsume. As Kuroodia began to ruffle her hair with the towel, she gasped in surprise as she felt someone sneak up from behind her, hugging her close to their chest.

When Kuroodia took the towel off of her head, she looked up. "Kaname, what are you doing? I'm all wet."

Kaname smiled at her. "And a good morning to you as well, my lovely sister." He snuggled closer to her, making her squirm slightly. "And if you want, we can do this in my room…" he whispered into her ear, making her blush furiously.

"Hey, Kaname, ease up on my game," she heard a voice say, as she felt Kaname being pushed away and someone else throwing their arms over her. "It's my turn!"

"Tsubaki, give her a break," Azusa said, shaking his head and pulling him away. "You alright?" He asked, smiling.

Kuroodia stammered. "I-I, well… people keep hugging me, I need to shower, and I need to get changed for work…"

Ema entered the room, carrying some clothes with Juli on her shoulder. Juli pounced on Kaname, who was the closest brother to him that was surrounding Kuroodia. "Stay away from my Chii's sister…!" He yelled, scratching at Kaname's face.

"No, wait, Juli, it's okay…!" Kuroodia said, pulling him off of Kaname's face. "They were just trying to help me!"

Juli hissed at the brothers. "These wolves were trying to make a move on Ai! And as guardian of Chii, I shall protect her sister as well!"

Kuroodia blinked in surprise. "'Ai'?"

Juli hopped up to her shoulder. "Ah, so you can hear me. Good." Juli smiled. "'Ai' means love and affection. That's all you radiate to others, Kuroodia."

Kuroodia smiled. Ema handed her some dress clothes as Juli hopped back onto her shoulder. "You okay?"

Kuroodia took the clothes. "Thank you."

"Sure, anytime you need-"

"No, that's not what I meant." Kuroodia shook her head, and smiled at her sister. "Thank you for welcoming me into this family."

Ema hugged her sister. "Of course. We're family, right?"

After Kuroodia had quickly showered, gotten dressed, and drank the tea Ukyo had made her, she only had ten minutes to walk across town, seeing as she didn't have a car. Panicking, she tried looking at the bus schedule posted on the refrigerator.

Ukyo saw what she was doing, and he decided to take the matter into his own hands. "I can drive you there, Kuroodia."

Kuroodia stopped studying the paper, and turned around. "A-are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a burden-"

Ukyo put a finger to her lips, surprising her, as he seemed like one of the more mature and subtle brothers of the house. He smiled at her. "I wouldn't mind."

The two quickly ran out to the car, and Ukyo put Kuroodia's blueprints and tools in the trunk. They took off to a shortcut through town. Sitting in silence for what felt like years, Kuroodia spoke up once they reached a red light.

"Thank you, Ukyo. I really do appreciate this. And I'm sorry about the last minute ride."

Ukyo looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Don't sweat it."

When they finally reached the parking lot of her office, Kuroodia looked down at her watch, smiled, and hugged Ukyo. Ukyo blushed. "Thank you, Ukyo! I still have three minutes before work starts!"

Ukyo pulled her in tighter, and smiled. "You're welcome, Kuroodia." Blinking, he pulled away, reaching into his car and handing her a bag. "Here. A homemade packed lunch."

Kuroodia smiled at the sight of the bag. "Thanks again, Ukyo. I'll enjoy your cooking." She kissed him on the cheek, and quickly ran inside the office, carrying her supplies. "See you back home tonight!"

Ukyo stood in front of his car, a hand on the cheek Kuroodia had kissed. He loosened his tie, feeling the heat come from his face. "See you tonight."

Kuroodia held her face in her hands, her desk scattered with supplies. She groaned. _Why did today have to be an overtime day…?_

She dialed the house number, and Ukyo picked up. "Ukyo, I'm sorry, but I won't be home until late tonight. Don't wait for me for dinner."

She heard Ukyo sigh. "I can leave some leftovers for you to heat up when you get home. Just come home safely, okay?"

Kuroodia smiled. "Yes, brother."

Once she had finished her work and walked home, the lights were already off in the house. Kuroodia quietly snuck in, and sat down on the couch in the living room.

She yawned. "I'm so tired… I should go to my room…" She tried to get up, but was already nodding off. Soon, she was sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep.

The _ding_ of the elevator echoed throughout the floor, but Kuroodia didn't stir. Ukyo walked in, and nearly tripped on something on the floor. "What on Earth…?" He muttered, sure that it was someone's feet. He figured one of the brothers had been too lazy to go to their room, but, instead, his eyes rested on a sleeping Kuroodia. He blinked, and smiled.

 _I can't leave her here without a blanket, she'll catch a cold,_ he thought. _But, I also can't let her sleep here, or otherwise the other brothers will take advantage of the situation and embarrass her… I also don't know the password to her room._

He thought for a moment, and gazed at her, her chest slowly rising and falling. _I truly am in love with her, aren't I?_

Carefully, without waking her up, he carried her up the stairs. He quietly typed in the password for his room, and opened the door.

 **A/N:**

Oh, the feels! Ukyo's in love with Kuroodia...! And now he's taking her to his room...? DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

Me: (Poking Ukyo on the nose) Ukyo, you better not do anything to hurt Kuroodia!

Ukyo: (Blushing) O-of course I wouldn't do anything!

Kuroodia: (Mutters in her sleep and turns over)

Ukyo: (Struggling to hold her and turns redder) U-u-uh...

Me: (Takes Ukyo's glasses)

Ukyo: Hey, I need those...!

Me: (Making a Ukyo impression) Please continue supporting the series! (Makes a heart)


	4. First Conflict

Kuroodia woke up in a dark room early in the morning. Once she opened her eyes, she tried to remember where she fell asleep. _The living room,_ she thought. _But, this isn't the living room… I'm in a bed…?_

She put a hand up to her chest. She was wearing her dress pants still, but the shirt she had on… it was also a dress shirt, but it was too big to be hers. _How…?_

Kuroodia tried to move, and discovered that someone had their arms around her. Panicked, she started to squirm. The arms pulled her closer, and she felt someone's mouth near her ear. "Good morning, my dear."

Kuroodia immediately recognised the voice. But could it be…?

"U-Ukyo?!" she said, falling out of the bed. She was desperately trying to find a light in the darkness, but backed up against the wall. Ukyo leaned over in his bed, turning on the lamp. Kuroodia was in between the corner of the room and a large bookcase.

"Ukyo, why-" she started, and Ukyo pinned her against the wall. Surprised, Kuroodia stared into his blue eyes.

"Why…?" she said again, her voice quiet. Ukyo looked into her brown eyes, and smiled.

"Don't worry, I didn't do anything to you." His cheek rubbed up against Kuroodia's, and she blushed furiously. "I found you asleep on the couch, and simply couldn't leave you there. I would've taken you to your room, but I didn't know your password. And if the other brothers found you there…"

Kuroodia clenched her teeth, and yelled at him, still pinned. "Then why not wake me up?! Why take me to your room, you pervert?! I thought…" she choked, tears running down her cheeks. She slid down the wall, and Ukyo let go of her, stunned. "I thought you were…"

Ukyo fell down on one knee, face to face with Kuroodia. Before she could even interpret what was happening, he put his thumb and forefinger to her chin, raising her face closer to his.

Then he kissed her.

Kuroodia's eyes widened, as she weakly tried to push him off. His kiss became more passionate, and Kuroodia stopped fighting. After what seemed like hours, he finally pulled away from her, taking a deep breath. Kuroodia was slack jawed, red-faced, and stunned.

Ukyo wiped the tears off of her face with his hand, and smiled. "I think…" he paused, and leaned over to her ear. "I think I'm in love with you."

Later that morning, Kuroodia walked to her room, in a daze. _Did that just happen? Or was it just a dream?_

As she continued walking, Tsubaki walked out of his bedroom, bumping into Kuroodia.

With her hands on his chest, she looked up at his face, still in a daze. "Sorry, Tsubaki…" She continued walking down the hall, and Tsubaki grabbed her hand.

"Wait! Are you okay?" He asked, confused and concerned. He leaned over to feel her head. "You don't have a fever… have you been drinking?"

He leaned in even closer to her, smelling her breath. "Hmm… it doesn't smell like you've had any alcohol, either." He looked down, noticing that she had on a dark red men's dress shirt. The only person who would wear something like that was…

Kuroodia pat him on the chest, startling him. She gave him a huge smile, obviously fake. "I'm fine, Tsubaki." She continued down the hall, leaving Tsubaki standing there, confused even further.

When she started to wander and finally slammed into a wall, she fell down, knocked out. Tsubaki ran over to her, and stroked her hair. He muttered. "What did he do to you…?"

He brushed some hair out of her face. "Dummy," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek.

When Kuroodia woke up for a second time, she was relieved that she was in her own bed. She sat up, and felt dizzy.

"Hey," she heard a voice say. When she looked over, she saw Masaomi. He smiled at her. "Lay back down, okay? You took quite a fall."

"B-but… I'm late for work…"

"It's fine. We called you in sick." Masaomi assured her.

Kuroodia's eyes fell. "I… Ukyo… I woke up and… then Tsubaki…"

She began to sob, startling Masaomi. He gently patted her on the back.

"Sounds like you had a rough morning. Do you want to talk about it?" Masaomi said gently.

Kuroodia shook her head, still sobbing.

Masaomi thought for a moment. "Would you like me to get something for you to eat? I bet you didn't have breakfast, and it's early in the afternoon."

Without noticing it, Kuroodia's stomach had been growling. "That'd be great. Thank you, Masaomi."

Masaomi nodded, and left the room. Once he had ridden the elevator to the kitchen, he went to the fridge. As he rummaged through leftovers, he spoke aloud to Ukyo, who was cooking lunch for the family.

"Ukyo, I don't know what you did to her…" he began, glancing over at him. "But it shook her up."

Ukyo paused from his cooking, his face grim. "I meant her no harm."

"I know that. But she's in pain."

Ukyo said nothing more as Masaomi left. His eyes returned to the pot he had been stirring.

 _Please, understand, Kuroodia…_ he thought. _My feelings for you… can't change._

Meanwhile, Kuroodia had lain back down when Masaomi left. She closed her eyes, and sighed.

"Why the depressing sigh, Sis?" she heard another voice say. She sat up, and saw Tsubaki and Azusa standing by the door.

"Hey," she said, smiling halfheartedly. "I'm just thinking, is all."

Azusa sat down next to her on the bed. "You okay? Tsubaki told me about the fall."

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled.

Tsubaki sat on the other side of Kuroodia and put an arm around her. "You're so clumsy, Sis." His face turned serious. "But really, what was that? You seemed upset and completely in another world. And…" His eyes flickered with both anger and protectiveness, startling Kuroodia. "You were wearing Ukyo's shirt."

"I…" she said, putting her hand to her chest. She noticed that Ukyo's shirt was gone, and that she was wearing one of her regular t-shirts.

Azusa turned to face his brother. "Tsubaki, take it easy-"

"No!" Tsubaki yelled, holding Kuroodia by the shoulders. Kuroodia blushed, scared and surprised. "You don't get it…!"

"No, I do get it, Tsubaki." Azusa turned to him. His glasses glinted. "And I feel the same way."

Tsubaki and Kuroodia looked at Azusa, surprised. Tsubaki let go of her shoulders. "About both of them, then?"

Kuroodia looked at Tsubaki, stunned. _Both of them…? Does he mean me and Ema…?_

"Yes." Azusa stood, facing Kuroodia. "I do."

They both leaned over, and kissed Kuroodia on the cheek. Kuroodia felt like her heart was about to explode. "We love you, Kuroodia."

"And no matter what it takes…" Tsubaki started.

"...We'll make sure we're the only ones in your heart." Azusa finished.

As they began to leave, Kuroodia spoke quietly. "No."

Tsubaki and Azusa turned, surprised. Kuroodia looked up, tears running down her face. "No...!"

She stood up, shaking. "You… if you like both me and Ema, how will you both choose? And…" She faced Tsubaki, angry. "Ukyo brought me to his room last night while I was asleep, and confessed to me! _That's_ why I was upset!" She held her hands up to her face, spinning. "I… I've never been so confused in my life…"

As she began to fall back down, Tsubaki grabbed her wrist. "C-calm down, Kuroodia! We… we really mean what we said."

Masaomi entered the room holding a bowl of curry, surprised that Azusa and Tsubaki were there. When he saw Kuroodia, crying and in pain, his face became serious.

"Tsubaki. Azusa." He nodded to both of them formally. "Please leave."

"But…!" Tsubaki protested, and Azusa put a hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon, Tsubaki." Azusa turned to Kuroodia, his expression pained. "I'm sorry if we caused you any grief. Please forgive us."

Once they left, Masaomi shook his head and closed the door. "I'm sorry they're so inconsiderate."

When Kuroodia said nothing, Masaomi smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Get better soon. And remember, we'll always be here." He pat her on the head, and left the room.

Kuroodia sat, expressionless. The tears continued to fall down her face, but she didn't care. She put a hand up to her chest, and felt her heart throbbing.

She pursed her lips. She was trembling. Confused. But worst of all, she was hurting from deep inside her heart.

Kuroodia loved her brothers. She really did. But with what had been proposed to her within the last twenty-four hours… her heart sank.

She stood. She had nothing to say. At least, for now.

She got changed, put on her leather jacket and running shoes, and slid out the door.

Once she snuck past the living room, filled with her family socializing, she hesitated.

 _I can't believe I'm running away,_ she thought. _How childish of me._

She shook her head. _No. It's not. I have to think this over… and by living in the same house as them, it would manipulate my decision._

The conversation became quieter, and Kuroodia peeked into the room, wondering why the buzz had suddenly stopped.

She heard Ukyo's voice. Kuroodia blushed, thinking about what had happened that morning. "It's been an awfully long time since Kuroodia's come out of her room. Is she okay?"

 _You faker,_ Kuroodia thought. _There's no way you'd tell them what happened._

Another voice rang out. Tsubaki. He sounded miserable. "I sure hope so. I think we made her feel bad."

Azusa added, "Well, I think that we shouldn't have been so pushy. She probably wouldn't have been so freaked out."

 _No, it's fine,_ she thought, almost yelling it out. _I'm fine!_

Another voice was added, vaguely feminine, but not Ema's. Hikaru. "You didn't _scare_ her, did you?"

Futo's voice was annoyed, as far as Kuroodia could tell. "Oh, please. You guys are a bunch of idiots. You don't even know how to handle a woman like her, do you?"

"And I'll guess _you_ do, you sack of crap?" Yusuke said bitterly.

Ema's voice rang out of all of there's, making Kuroodia smile slightly. "Guys, stop. I don't know what happened, but… well, we need to make sure she's okay." Ema stood up, as Kuroodia moved back to remain unseen. "I'll go check on her."

 _Crap,_ Kuroodia panicked. _I need to leave. Right. Now…!_

Kuroodia took off down the hall, running on her toes so her footsteps were silent.

When she finally made her way outside, she kept running down the sidewalk.

 _Only for a little while,_ Kuroodia reassured herself.

 _I just hope he doesn't mind._

 **A/N:**

Whoa. That was just... _whoa._

Sorry if I can't post everyday, I'm writing up the new parts to the story as I publish them, plus I have my studies to attend to.

Ema: (Runs back from Kuroodia's room) I-I don't know where she is!

Masaomi: (Stands up) She isn't there?!

Futo: (Sighs) Like I said: Idiots.

Ukyo: Now's not the time for that nonsense, Futo! We have to find her!

Tsubaki: (Groaning) Oh man, oh man! This is all our fault!

Azusa: (Thinking hard) Where could she have possibly gone...?

Me: (Blows hair out of face) Well, if you guys were paying attention, you'd probably know where she is right now...

Ukyo: (Grabs me by the shoulders) You know where she is?! Tell us! Immediately!

Me: Please continue supporting the series! (Runs away as everyone chases me)

Ukyo: GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT...!

Me: NEVER!


	5. Second Conflict

_I just hope he doesn't mind._

Kuroodia slowed to a walk once she was about two blocks away from the house. _I know his apartment is around here somewhere… but it's nearly dark…_

Kuroodia stopped. She clenched her teeth. _The very last thing I ever expected was my own step brothers to confess to me; Ukyo. Tsubaki. Azusa._ She held her face in her hands, shaking. _Why does my heart hurt even so? Wouldn't it be wrong to love my own brothers that way?_

She shook her head. _I need time. And space. But, why is it that_ he _was the first person I'd go running to for help…?_

Once the sun had fallen and the stars were high above the sky, Kuroodia stood in front of the door to an apartment. _This is the place._

She felt her phone ring in her pocket. When she took it out, she saw that she had several missed calls: Ukyo. Ema. Ukyo. Ukyo. Masaomi. Masaomi. Tsubaki. Azusa. Ema. Kuroodia couldn't bear to listen to their messages, but noticed she had one text from Ukyo.

 _Please come home. We all love you, and wish nothing bad would ever happen to you. Please._

Her phone rang again. She couldn't identify the number, but, knowing the situation, she figured it was one of the brothers whom she hadn't saved on her phone. She shut the phone off, put it back in her pocket, and sighed.

The door opened. "So, you ignore my calls too, huh?"

Kuroodia's lower lip trembled. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. Or who else to trust."

Natsume sighed, and held out his hand. "Well, no use having you explain in front of my door. Come inside."

"So, you run away, too, huh?" Natsume said, stirring up some tea.

Kuroodia stared at him. "W-what?"

"What? She never told you?" He poured some tea into two cups, and handed her one. She quietly whispered _Thank you._ "Ema ran away once, too. Before she realized she was adopted."

Kuroodia blinked. "So, Rintaro never told her? He must have told her some other story to keep it under wraps. I can see why."

"Yeah. She came here, and I talked to her about it." Natsume shook his head. "But enough about that; why'd you run away?"

Kuroodia lowered her head and said nothing. Natsume stared at her. "Oh, come on. I won't bite."

Kuroodia whispered. "Please. Please, don't send me back to the house or tell them I'm staying here. I need time to think. And space."

Natsume sat, waiting. Kuroodia stared at him, tears in her eyes, and he sighed again. "Alright, I won't. But, in exchange, you have to tell me why."

She fell on the floor, making Natsume flinch. "It's… it's only been two days. _Two._ And yet, three of my brothers have confessed to me."

Natsume blinked in surprise. "Seriously? Who?"

Kuroodia covered her eyes with the palms of her hands. "Ukyo, Tsubaki, and Azusa. And for all I know, there could be more."

"You're right," Natsume agreed. "There could be."

Kuroodia looked up, and noticed he had sat next to her. "So, you need to decide what to do?"

Kuroodia sank in the couch. "Precisely. But, the thing is, I _can't._ No matter how much I try to ignore it, my heart hurts." She put a hand up to her chest, and Natsume stared at her, stunned. She whispered. " _It hurts._ "

Natsume sighed again. "Y'know, you may not be doing it intentionally, but you're going to make every last one of us fall for you, too."

Kuroodia turned to face him. "What do you-"

She was interrupted once again that day: by a kiss from yet another brother.

"I'm sorry," Natsume breathed. "I just… I know it's hard." He peered into her eyes. "But, it's like I said; you're going to make every last one of us fall for you, one way or another."

Kuroodia didn't say anything. She didn't feel like she needed to.

In fact, she couldn't feel anything.

She collapsed on the floor.

The last thing she heard was Natsume yelling her name as he caught her, and the sound of her own tears falling to the floor.

Kuroodia knew that nothing was going to end well when she woke up in the hospital.

A nurse passed by her, and Kuroodia reached out to pull her apron. "Excuse me, where…?"

"Oh good, you're awake." The nurse smiled. "You're at the hospital. You collapsed due to your lack of sleep and the amount of stress inflicted on your body; a result of broken heart syndrome."

"Is that even a thing?"

"Yep. Have you been having serious chest pain lately?"

Kuroodia nodded.

"Stress produces hormones, which can temporarily disrupt your heart's normal pumping function, while the remainder of the heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions. You really ought to take better care of yourself, young lady. Oh, and another thing," the nurse pointed to a table off to the side of her bed. "Your family and boyfriend brought you some get well gifts."

' _Boyfriend…?'_ Kuroodia looked over, witnessing a table with cards, balloons, different colored flowers, a stuffed rabbit, and some chocolates. She looked back at the nurse. "How long have I been out?"

"About four days."

"My work is _not_ going to be happy," Kuroodia muttered as the nurse left the room.

"I personally think that should be the least of your worries, _Kuroodia-chan._ "

Kuroodia looked where the voice had come from, and Natsume stood leaning against a wall, near a window. She smiled. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," Natsume replied. They stayed in silence for a moment. Natsume shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"Hey, I just wanted to say… I'm sorry about what happened."

Kuroodia smiled sadly. "Natsume, it's not your fault. You heard the nurse; it was a medical thing."

"Caused by stress," he pointed out. "I was the final straw before your heart gave out."

Kuroodia sat for a moment. "So, what exactly happened? After I collapsed, I mean."

"Well, let's see," Natsume spun on his heel, and walked over to her bedside. "Once you collapsed, I called 911. As we were riding there in the ambulance, I made a call to Ukyo." Natsume flinched when he saw Kuroodia's face fall. "Hey, I'm sorry. I had to tell them what was going on. He freaked out, and demanded to know what hospital you were at. Once the entire family got here, we waited in the seating area for a while. Although, I have to say," He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Ema was probably the most worried out of them all."

Kuroodia's pupils shrank. She grabbed Natsume's hand, startling him. "W-where is she? I need to let her know I'm okay… I need to… let her…" She began to sway, and Natsume caught her.

"Hey, take it easy. We don't want you to have another relapse." He raised her chin up with his thumb and forefinger. "You'll make us worry again."

"Natsume?"

They both looked up at the doorway. Ukyo stood at the door, his mouth hanging open, blinking in shock. Kuroodia noticed he had a bouquet of red roses in his hand, and he was wearing a white dress shirt and black pants.

Ukyo closed his mouth, and let out a soft sigh. He pushed his glasses up. "I suppose you beat me here, didn't you?"

Kuroodia sat up. "No, Ukyo, it's not what you think-"

Natsume held up a hand to silence her. He stared down at Ukyo. "No, it's fine. I was just about to leave, actually." He looked back at Kuroodia, and pulled a video game out of his jacket. "Oh, and here." He smiled. "I hope this makes you feel better; it's the latest version we've released."

Natsume made his way past Ukyo, who was despairing. After a moment of silence, he looked up at her. "So, do you like Natsume?"

"Huh?" she said. Ukyo held a powerful gaze with Kuroodia for a moment, and she forced herself to look away. "Well, not particularly, no… I mean, I honestly don't know…"

Ukyo walked over to the table of gifts, and set the roses down. "Are you feeling alright?"

Kuroodia leaned back in her bed. "I'm not entirely sure, actually. It's hard to tell."

Ukyo pursed his lips. "Why did you run away?"

Kuroodia avoided eye contact with him. "I had to think about my situation at hand."

"Then, why did you go to Natsume?"

Kuroodia was set back for a moment, caught between her emotions and her thoughts. When she didn't answer, he leaned over to her.

"Kuroodia."

"Y-yes?"

"Do you love me?"

Kuroodia's eyes filled with tears, and she wiped at her eyes.

"Please. Please, dammit." He whispered. "I'm in love with you."

"Y-yes."

"What?"

Kuroodia looked at Ukyo. "I do love you, Ukyo. But," she choked. "My emotions are so intertwined that it's like I'm wandering around blindfolded. So, please," she bowed her head, her entire body shaking as Ukyo stared at her. "I cannot not accept your or anyone else's declaration right now."

Ukyo was taken aback for a moment, and finally smiled. "I figured that."

He raised her face to his, and lightly kissed her on the lips. "But, I will have you know that I won't give up that easily. I'll win over your heart whole."

Kuroodia smiled. "We'll see, Ukyo."

Ukyo smiled in return. "Ah, there it is."

"Huh?"

Ukyo laughed. "That beautiful smile of yours. You finally smiled, even in this dreary situation."

Kuroodia beamed. "I suppose I did, Ukyo."

 _I suppose I did._

 **A/N**

Whew, another chapter! But, while Kuroodia tried to escape her starstruck brothers, she only managed to fall deeper into the mess she's in! I really feel bad for her; I know what it means to have to deal with a lot of guys like that. Who do you guys think Kuroodia should ship with so far? Let me know!

Me: Hey, Ukyo, what made you fall for Kuroodia?

Ukyo: (Covers my mouth) Shhh...! H-how do you know that?

Me: Oh, please, I'm the author of this story. Anyway, what made you fall for her?

Ukyo: Well... her maturity, her intelligence, her beauty, and (Blushes) the way she can smile through any hardship.

Me: That's the type of response you'd expect from a lawyer.

Ukyo: Hey, what's that supposed to mean...?!

Me: And you guys? The triplets? What about you?

Tsubaki: Well, I happen to enjoy her musical talent and ambition.

Azusa: I like the way she emits a comforting aura, no matter the situation.

Natsume: Her business style and athletic qualities aren't bad, either.

Me: Okay. So you guys compare her personality to your own. Makes sense.

Ukyo: So, uh, why did you ask us in the first place?

Me: Oh, so I could tell Kuroodia all about it.

Ukyo, Tsubaki, Asuza, and Natsume: WHAT?!

Me: I'm just kidding, sheesh! I'M JUST KIDDING! Anyway, make sure you guys let me know who _you_ think Kuroodia should ship with!

Ukyo: (Pushes glasses up) Obviously, the winner shall be me.

Tsubaki: No way, Book Worm! She'll _obviously_ go for _me,_ the most talented and handsome brother here!

Azusa: I think it would take a bit more than that to win her over, Tsubaki.

Tsubaki: (Pouts) Aw, come on! Well, at least I know I have a better chance than you, Azusa. No offense or anything.

Natsume: See, this is why she won't choose you guys; you're too egotistical.

Ukyo, Tsubaki, and Azusa: WE ARE NOT...!

Me: (Sighs) You all need to shut up and get to work if you ever want to win her over. Who knows, maybe she'll pick someone else than you four.

Ukyo, Tsubaki, Asuza, and Natsume: NO!

All of us: Please continue supporting the series! (Makes heart shapes with hands together)


	6. Welcome Back

Once Kuroodia was released from the hospital, she returned home. Natsume had returned to the hospital the day following when he last saw her, and talked with her for a little while.

"So." He said, sitting by her bedside. "You still got some thinking to do?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I still don't know what to do about my current situation with… y'know."

"Yeah," Natsume nodded. "That sounds good. Besides, you need a break from all of this stress. Coming up with a decision during your recovery will just make things worse."

Kuroodia smiled up at him, and pat his hand. "Thank you for understanding, Natsume."

Natsume's eyes softened. "Yeah."

They stayed silent for a few moments, enjoying one-another's company. Natsume spoke up. "Hey, Kuroodia? I've got a question."

"Huh?"

He turned to her. "Do you love Ukyo?"

Kuroodia's face reddened. "Of course I do, as a brother."

"What about Tsubaki and Azusa?"

"S-same goes for them, too."

Natsume sighed. "It's just…" He squeezed her hand, and Kuroodia looked up at him, worried. "It's just… I fell in love with Ema when I first met her. But, she seemed to always be more interested in someone of her age." Natsume locked eyes with her. "And then I met you."

Kuroodia stared at their hands. Natsume continued. "You were much more mature than Ema, and you were also much stronger, able to handle more stress than her. When we went on that jog, I was happy that you laughed at what I said." Natsume smiled at her. "Your laugh brightens my world."

Kuroodia let go of his hand, and Natsume's eyes fell. "Natsume."

Kuroodia looked up. "You asked me if I had more thinking to do. And I said yes. I cannot give you an answer right now, Natsume, until I am sure about what my heart wants." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

Natsume stared at her, and smiled. He pat her head, and Kuroodia looked back up, surprised. "That's okay. I figured that. Just, get better, alright?"

Kuroodia smiled. "Alright."

Once she had returned home, all of the brothers came rushing over to hug her. Subaru held her for dear life, and pulled back, grasping her shoulders. "A-are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fi-"

Subaru started to shake Kuroodia's shoulders. "Don't you ever go doing that again, okay?! You had us worried to death! Why'd you even trust that creep, anyway?"

"Thanks," Natsume muttered.

"And then, you pass out and get sent to the hospital...?" Subaru continued, and hugged her tightly. Kuroodia's eyebrow twitched as she pat him on the back. Subaru closed his eyes, and whispered in her ear. "Just, promise you won't worry me like that again, okay?"

Kuroodia smiled. "I promise."

While the other brothers stared at them, Subaru finally realized what he was doing, and he embarrassedly pulled away from her. He rubbed the back of his neck, turning a deep red. "U-u-uh… yeah."

Tsubaki and Azusa both walked over, hugging her at the same time. "We're sorry, Kuroodia," Tsubaki whispered. "We didn't mean to cause you to... to go to the hospital…"

Kuroodia smiled, and pat them both on the heads, surprising them. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it wasn't your fault. I was just overly stressed, and haven't been getting enough sleep."

Azusa pat her on the cheek. "Well, take it easy, alright?" He smiled. "We don't want you to push yourself too hard."

Louis and Iori greeted Kuroodia with gifts. Iori handed her a bouquet of gladioluses. "Gladioluses mean 'Strong character'," Iori whispered. He smiled. "You're a strong person, Kuroodia."

When Iori gave her the bouquet, she couldn't help but notice Kaname frown. When he saw Kuroodia look at him, he winked. Kuroodia rolled her eyes.

Louis, however, didn't hand her anything. "Later," he said, smiling. "I'll style your hair for you. Okay, Kuroodia? It will make you feel better."

Kuroodia smiled at them. "Thank you, guys."

The rest of the brothers hugged her, talked to her, or gave her something they thought would cheer her up. Wataru had given her a stuffed rabbit, saying that "He'd make her smile when she feels sad." Masaomi stuck a lollipop in her mouth and told her to stay healthy and well rested. Natsume assured her that'd she'd be okay, and that she was welcome to come to his apartment anytime she needed to, which Subaru did not approve of. Futo had texted her, saying that he'd make sure that she paid the consequences for worrying him, which only caused her roll her eyes. Kaname kept spouting cheesy pick up lines, which made Kuroodia stare at him blankly. Yusuke awkwardly leaned against the wall, muttering "Welcome back, Sis." Hikaru embraced Kuroodia, telling her that she was as gorgeous as ever.

Pretty soon, the only brother that hadn't said anything to Kuroodia was Ukyo.

All of the brothers stared at him with distaste. Hikaru walked over to him, propping his elbow on Ukyo's shoulder. "Well, brother? What are you waiting for?"

Ukyo glared at him, sweat dribbling down his neck. He looked over at Kuroodia, who was glancing at him, her eyes filled with curiosity. Ukyo faltered, and Kuroodia tore her eyes away from his.

Ema hugged Kuroodia, making Ukyo freeze with disappointment. "Kuroodia, don't do that again, okay?" Ema said, holding her tighter. To everyone's dismay, she was crying. Kuroodia's eyes started to water, and she pat Ema on the back, smiling.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I promise I won't do that again."

Kuroodia turned, nodding to her brothers. "Ema and I are going to head out, okay? Maybe get something to eat and do some shopping."

Masaomi stood behind her. "Are you sure? You just came home. Maybe you should take a break for a little bit."

Kuroodia smiled. "How about we all go, then? We can have a picnic by the pond."

Subaru and Natsume exchanged glances. "As long as if we're not jogging."

Kuroodia laughed. Everyone smiled. "Well, then how about it?"

Ukyo coughed into his hand. "I'd have to make preparations…"

Kuroodia put a hand on his chest, surprising him. "Let _me_ make the food, okay?"

Ukyo stared at her, and Kuroodia laughed. "What? You don't think I can cook?" She winked over at Ema, who smiled. "Ema and I have the same blood, so we've got some talents hidden up our sleeves."

"You're more talented, though," Ema added. "I'm not very smart, and I'm horrible at music. And sports. And writing."

Kuroodia rubbed her knuckle against Ema's head, the way two brothers would. "Aw, don't say that, Ema-chan. You're a great sister."

The brothers laughed, and Ukyo watched Kuroodia smile. _I could only dare to hope…_ he thought wistfully.

As the girls began packing lunch, with Wataru joining them, Kaname walked over to Iori. He lowered his voice, so only Iori could hear it through the noise.

"Gladioluses," he said to Iori, glaring at him. "The meaning you told her… there's two other meanings."

Iori looked past him. "'You pierce my heart'," he whispered. "'And I'll never give up'."

 **A/N:**

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long... I hope the others aren't mad at me...

Tsubaki: (Grabbing me by the shoulders) Hey! How come you haven't updated or written in _weeks?_

Me: (Nervous) I-I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!

Kuroodia: Tsubaki, go easy on her.

Azusa: Yeah, Tsubaki.

Ukyo: (Pushes glasses up) She was attending her studies, which _are_ more important. (Glancing over at me) However, she's finished her exams, and she'll be able to finish the series soon. Correct?

Me: (Standing up straight) Y-yes sir!

Kuroodia: (Sighing) You really shouldn't push yourself too hard, you know. After all, wasn't your school year stressful?

Ukyo: (Realizing) That's right. Didn't you get in a bike acci-

Me: (Yelling) I-I'd rather not get into that, Ukyo!

Tsubaki: (Suddenly hugging me) Why didn't you just say so? But, seriously. You should update more!

Me: (Peeling away) Yeah, I know. Readers, please continue supporting the series, even after all this time.

Ukyo: We really would appreciate it.

Tsubaki: (Making a peace sign) Yeah! We love ya!


	7. A-N: WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS

*Gets back from camp*

Me: Oh, I should probably check my e-mail...

*Checks e-mail*

Me: "FanFiction"...? Oh, that's right... I should probably update... Wow so many people have followed!

*Goes to FanFiction account*

Me: Hmm-Hmm-Hmmmmm...

*Checks how many views I got on Brothers Conflict*

Me: ...

Guys... You have no idea how happy I am right now. :')

THANKS YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE 2,234 VIEWS, 30 FOLLOWERS, 18 FAVORITES AND 9 REVIEWS!

I'm so happy right now I'm crying happy tears... I love you guys so much~! :')

Thank you to yuki dreyar, xSuccubusQueen, Utau54, SyConstance, sweetestlilly, Raru541, PastelxMacarons, paigemitchell98, Naoli, nama1998sth, MoonlitMia, Mirella, mewmewlover23, Kelly the Dreamer, KatakumiKiari, JemStone83, Hershey gurl, GlaciesCruor, gaarakabuto, fuhiwa, devils-lover76, DarkLov3, DarkAngel2581, ChocoNoCakeInIt, Choco M, ChinaDang, celestialmaiden1, cathywhatever, animeloverRcool, and AlexisHard for following. :)

I'd also like to thank those nine of you (You know who you are ;) for writing reviews. I love reading your comments, guys~! :D Also, don't be afraid to request a behind the scene or special chapter. There's going to (probably) be three more chapters before the end of the fanfiction (I can practically hear you guys screaming "SO SOON?!") Haha, don't worry, the last chapter is going to be a big chapter. ;) If you guys want me to add anything, though, (I already know how I want the story to end up) write me a review!

Until next time, my beautiful readers! I'll update the next chapter in a little bit. :)

\- Author


	8. The Date

A few weeks had passed, and the home was slowly becoming normal again. Kuroodia was sitting on the couch, enjoying her day off from work by reading a book. Suddenly, her phone went off.

Kuroodia fumbled to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Kuroodia?" A voice asked. Kuroodia put her book down. "Yeah, it's Kuroodia. Who's speaking?"

"Oh, uh, hey." The caller cleared his throat. "It's Natsume."

"Hey, Natsume-kun!" Kuroodia smiled. "How are you? It's been a while."

"I'm fine." He paused. "Do you… by any chance have any plans this weekend?"

"Actually, no. I'm taking today off, and this weekend as well." Kuroodia cocked her head for a moment. "Why?"

Natsume took a deep breath. "Would you like to go somewhere with me this weekend? I had somewhere in mind, a place I thought you'd like. We could go to a restaurant and eat, too."

Kuroodia was taken aback, surprised. She smiled. "Of course! I'd love to!"

Natsume smiled. "Alright, then it's settled. I'll drive by and pick you up this weekend."

"Alright! See you then!" Kuroodia happily hung up as Ukyo entered the room.

He looked up at Kuroodia, intrigued. "My, you look happy. Something happen?"

Kuroodia shrugged. "I have plans with Natsume this weekend. Nothing too special."

Ukyo's face hardened. "I see. Are you two dating?"

She looked up, surprised. "No, of course not. We're just going someplace he had in mind, maybe get something to eat. That's all."

Ukyo held his gaze with Kuroodia, then turned away. "I suppose. I hope you have fun."

Kuroodia's eyes followed him as he left. "Ukyo…"

That weekend, Kuroodia awoke to find Natsume in the living room, dressed in a casual summer outfit. He smiled. "Ready to go?"

As they drove, Kuroodia pointed out the different buildings and shops. Natsume had them enter a clothing store, to look at different outfits. They both found themselves looking at bathing suits.

"Go ahead and pick one," Natsume said, surprising Kuroodia. "You'll need it for later."

"Um… alright. But you could have just told me, I have a one-piece at home." She paused, thinking for a moment. "However, I usually use that for competitive swim… maybe I should get a bikini." She turned to Natsume. "Is that alright?"

Natsume nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."

Soon, Kuroodia had picked out a plain, black bikini. She brought it to the counter, and Natsume stepped in with his wallet.

"Oh, it's okay, I can pay for it," Kuroodia tried to protest, but Natsume held up a hand. "It's fine, I got it. Besides, you weren't exactly planning on getting one today."

Kuroodia looked at the ground. "I guess so."

Next, they drove to a little sandwich shop. "This place is famous for its sandwiches and desserts," Natsume explained. "Go ahead and order what you want."

As they ate, they chatted about each other's careers, and their home life.

"How have you been doing with the others?" Natsume asked as he took a sip of his soda.

Kuroodia took a bite of her food and chewed thoughtfully. "It's alright. Nothing major has happened, as far as I'm concerned."

Natsume closed his eyes. "That's good."

Kuroodia smiled. "How's work, Natsume? I loved that video game you gave me."

Natsume smiled back. "Really? That's great. Work's fine; we're actually supposed to release a new game by the end of this week." He paused, grinning at Kuroodia. "Interested?"

Kuroodia laughed. "Sure, why not?"

Once they had finished eating, Natsume paid for their food and they walked out together. After getting in the car and driving for a few minutes, Kuroodia poked Natsume's arm.

"Natsume," she teased. "We still haven't gone to your 'special place in mind'."

Natsume took a moment to glance over at her, smiling. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

When they pulled into the parking lot of the water park, Kuroodia squeed, hugging Natsume. Natsume fought off a blush as Kuroodia ran up to the pool.

 _This was worth it…_ Natsume thought, smiling as Kuroodia jumped into the pool with her new swimsuit, calling Natsume over.

As he put his feet in at the edge of the pool, he continued watching Kuroodia with happiness. _Even if she doesn't love me back… it's nice to see her happy._

The two of them swam for a while, and at one point they got into a splashing battle. Kuroodia won, laughing in victory, and Natsume laughed along with her.

A few people pointed them out, but Kuroodia paid them no attention. At one point, Natsume overheard someone whisper, "Do you think they're a couple? Yeah, they've got to be... They sure look like they're having fun."

After spending the entire day at the water park, they drove back to the Asahina residence, Kuroodia humming with glee the entire way. It was already dark out, and the street lights had turned on.

Natsume walked Kuroodia up to the door, stopping right in front of it.

Natsume smiled. "Today was amazing."

Kuroodia smiled back. "Yeah, it was." She kissed him on the cheek, making his eyes widen in surprise. "Thank you for spending time with me, Natsume. It was sweet of you."

Natsume tried to think of something to say, but he was so overcome with joy he couldn't think of anything. Instead, he replied. "Yeah. Anytime."

Kuroodia smiled for the last time, opened the door, and walked inside as the lights in the house turned on. Natsume turned around and walked back to his car, stopping in front of the driver's door. He placed a hand on his cheek.

 _Maybe… maybe I have a chance._ He paused, sighing as he opened the door.

 _I can't tell if she loves me, or is just being kind for my sake. Either way…_ He turned his car key, sparking the ignition.

 _I just wish she'd be happy with me._

 **A/N:**

Haha, it took me a while to write this. xD Although, I feel a bit bad for Natsume to be honest... He seems so sad. Oh! I should go talk to him...

Me: Hey, Natsume!

Natsume: Hey.

Me: (Running over) You okay?

Natsume: (Puts hands in pockets) Yeah, it's just... I'm not sure if Kuroodia loves me back.

Me: (Elbows him) Oh, I see.

Kuroodia: (Walks over) Hey, guys! What're you guys talking about?

Me: Oh, we were just talking about-

Natsume: (Puts hand over my mouth) Nothing, nothing in particular, really.

Kuroodia: (Raises eyebrow) Is that so?

Me: (Peels Natsume's hand off of my face) What I was _going_ to say, (Glares at Natsume) _Natsume,_ is that we should thank our readers and supporters. I know I wrote a note to them an hour or two ago, but we should still get everyone to say thanks.

Everyone else: (Runs in and groups together) THANK YOU, READERS!

Subaru: (Flustered, tried to hold on to his towel) H-HEY! I WAS TAKING A SHOWER~!

Everyone: (Laughs and makes hearts together) See you next time!


	9. The Truth

A few more weeks had passed after Natsume and Kuroodia's date. Kuroodia, being completely oblivious, didn't realize that Natsume was having internal conflicts with himself after their date, and had simply assumed Natsume made the kind gesture as her brother.

When Kuroodia finally got another break from work, she slept in, being exhausted from staying at her office late at night. Ukyo would leave her dinner in the fridge for her to eat, but she'd often be too tired when she arrived at home, and wouldn't eat. Ukyo noticed this with great concern, including how Kuroodia was thinning at an unhealthy rate.

When Kuroodia woke up on her first day off, she noticed that it was early in the afternoon. Rubbing her eye, she walked down the stairs, still in her pajamas and slippers.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sleepy-head," Ukyo greeted with a smile from the kitchen, surprising Kuroodia. She started making her way to the kitchen, but Ukyo put a hand on her shoulder. "Go on and sit at the table. I'll get you something to eat in a moment."

Kuroodia nodded, still too tired to protest. When she sat down, she glanced at Ukyo from the window-like opening in the wall, separating the table from the kitchen. "While I appreciate you cooking for me, Ukyo, aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Ukyo smiled at her concern. "Lawyers have to take time off as well, you know." Kuroodia chuckled at this, as Ukyo set a plate consisting of tonkatsu, shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup and pickles. Kuroodia's eyes widened.

"Ukyo, you didn't have to cook me a big meal like this… it wasn't really-"

Ukyo put a finger up to Kuroodia's lips. "Now, I've noticed you haven't been eating dinner when you come home from work, and, although _you_ may not notice it, Kuroodia, you're thinning out very quickly. I made this so you'd have energy for today and could at least gain some of the weight you've lost," He said, as if he were a doting mother lecturing a child.

Kuroodia chuckled again, surprising Ukyo. "Yes, ma'am," she teased.

Ukyo smiled, not expecting Kuroodia to react in such a way. As he went back to the kitchen, Kuroodia called over to him. "Say, Ukyo, is anyone else at home right now?"

Ukyo thought for a moment as he began putting dishes in the sink. "I believe Iori is in the garden, tending to his flowers. Ema and Yusuke are home from school, while everyone else is either still at school or their jobs."

As if on cue, Yusuke walked in. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes closed as he sauntered into the room. "Hey, Ukyo, isn't it kind of early to be making-"

Yusuke opened his eyes, seeing Kuroodia eating while Ukyo cleaned some dishes. "Oh. 'Morning, Kuroodia." Yusuke glanced at a clock on the wall. "Or afternoon, I guess."

Kuroodia looked up from her meal, smiling at Yusuke as a way to acknowledge him. She continued eating happily, unaware that Yusuke had taken the seat next to her.

Ukyo couldn't help but notice this, and how Yusuke was looking at Kuroodia, his expression full of longing. Ukyo's hand formed a fist around the towel he was holding.

As Kuroodia pat at her mouth with a napkin, her meal finished, Yusuke spoke up, causing Kuroodia to look over at him, surprised.

"Hey, Kuroodia. Since you're finished… uh, would you mind if I… spoke to you privately?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Kuroodia smiled at him, unaware of the crushed look on Ukyo's face. Neither Yusuke or Kuroodia had know Ukyo was planning on asking Kuroodia on a date on one of the few days he had off. "Sure, Yusuke."

Kuroodia brought her plate to the kitchen counter, where she noticed that Ukyo was hanging his head is despair. "Ukyo, are you alright?"

Ukyo gave her a forced smile. "Ah… yes, I am. Thank you, Kuroodia." He quickly washed her plate, and threw the towel over his shoulder. "I suppose I should go now." He gave her another forced smile, walking out of the room.

Yusuke and Kuroodia stared at him, appalled. "What's his problem?" Yusuke said bluntly.

Kuroodia sighed. "I wish I knew, Yusuke." Kuroodia turned to him. "After I get changed, we can go somewhere to talk."

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, okay. Sure."

Kuroodia went up to her room, changing into a simple t-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes, and her favorite red sweatshirt. Yusuke and Kuroodia left the house, walking silently to the park.

They both sat down on a bench together near the pond. Kuroodia glanced over at Yusuke, waiting for him to start talking.

"So," Yusuke finally said, breaking the silence. "I… I need advice, if you don't mind."

Kuroodia smiled, breathing a sigh of relief internally. "Sure, Yusuke. What's troubling you?"

Yusuke fiddled with his thumbs. "It's… it's your sister, Kuroodia. I'm in love with her."

Yusuke cringed, glancing over at Kuroodia to gauge her reaction. Kuroodia's smile widened.

"That's sweet, Yusuke. I can see you guys together."

Yusuke blinked. "You… you can?" Yusuke felt a glimmer of hope, but his thoughts crushed it. He hung his head and bellowed loudly. "Ahhh, that's not going to help me…!"

Kuroodia faltered. "Yusuke, tell me what's wrong."

"I… I need to tell her how I _feel_ , Kuroodia. But… I'm too much of a coward to do it!" He kicked the bench leg, causing people to stare at them.

Kuroodia put both of her hands on Yusuke's shoulders, startling him. "Yusuke, you're _not_ a coward. This is completely normal." She hesitated. "You're trying to sort your feelings, and get to the point where you have enough courage to tell her. And I believe you can do it!" Kuroodia leaned back, sighing. "I'm rather jealous, to be honest. I wish I could be in your situation, where I loved someone and couldn't muster up the courage to tell them." Kuroodia looked off to the side. "Instead, I'm stuck _choosing_ between two people I love."

Yusuke sat back down next to her. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't know you were dealing with that."

Kuroodia gave him another smile. "Hey, it's alright. But back to your problem." She held Yusuke's hands together between her own, making him flustered. "You and Ema have been in the same classes for a while. You're even trying to get into the same college as her, and that shows how much you care. Even though you act laid back, you're a gentleman at heart and wouldn't do anything to hurt her. That's why…" Kuroodia beamed. "I truly believe with my heart that you can have a relationship with my sister, Yusuke."

Yusuke smiled, then began to laugh. "You know, Kuroodia, if I didn't love Ema, I probably would've fallen for you."

Kuroodia stared at him, wide eyed, as he suddenly realized what that sounded like. "Wh-what I meant was… uh…" Yusuke stuttered, waving his hands. "Well, you obviously like Natsume and Ukyo, and you're way older than me- ack, that's not what I _meant…_ " He hung his head, as Kuroodia laughed, patting him.

"It's alright, Yusuke." She smiled at him. "Let's head back."

Yusuke smiled back. "Yeah." He pumped a fist in the air. "And I promise, Kuroodia, I _will_ tell Ema I love her when the time is right!"

Kuroodia stood, grinning. "That's good to hear."

 **A/N:**

Awwww~! Kuroodia's giving love advice to Yusuke about Ema! However... if you haven't noticed, Ukyo's been trying hard to earn Kuroodia's affection, but keeps being put down. And, of course, Kuroodia is too oblivious to notice... OR IS SHE?

Me: (To Yusuke) Aww, Yusuke, I can _totally_ see you and Ema together! (Makes a heart)  
Yusuke: (Flustered) Ha-hah?! Who told you that?! Was is Kuroodia...?  
Me: (Sighing) Oh, why do you guys keep getting all confused about how I know these things...? I'm the author, for crying out loud!  
Yusuke: (Knitting eyebrows together) Okay...  
Me: Anyway, Yusuke, Kuroodia's helping you out, right?  
Yusuke: (Cocks head) Yeah, why?  
Me: (Smiling mischievously) Then how about we help her out as well...?  
Yusuke: (Grins) Ohhhh, I see where you're going with this.  
Me: Okay, so here's the plan... (Whispers to Yusuke)  
Kuroodia: (Walks in) Hey, guys! (Pauses, and gives us a suspicious look) Wait, what're you guys planning...?  
Yusuke: (Not listening to Kuroodia) Yeah, that's a perfect plan! (High fives me)  
Kuroodia: (Yelling) WHAT ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING...?  
Me: (Also not listening to Kuroodia) Please continue to support the series, readers! We love you! (Makes a heart)  
Kuroodia: ARE YOU GUYS LISTENING TO ME...?  
Me and Yusuke: NOPE!


	10. The Sisters' Birthday

It had been nearly a year since Kuroodia had moved into the Asahina household. Everything had been normal, and Kuroodia had finally gotten used to the way her brothers acted, no matter how immature or strange.

Ema and Kuroodia were sitting on the main couch in the living room, quietly reading separate books, while Tsubaki and Azusa practiced their lines for the most recent anime they auditioned for and got the part in. Ukyo had just finished cleaning the dishes from dinner, drying his hands with a towel as he glanced over at the family calendar on the wall.

"Does anyone know why tomorrow's date is circled on the calendar by any chance?" Ukyo asked, noticed a big circle around the next day's number. He turned to the others in the living room. "Is there something special going on that I don't know about?"

Kuroodia and Ema both looked up. "Oh, yeah, I circled that," Kuroodia said, raising her hand, smiling. "Ema and I were planning on having tomorrow free so we could spend it together."

Tsubaki leaned over, intrigued by the conversation. "What's the occasion, Sis?"

Azusa smiled. "If you wouldn't mind telling us, that is."

Ema and Kuroodia looked at each other, and back at the other three. "Why, it's our birthdays, of course."

The three men froze, caught off guard. "Wait, _both?_ " Tsubaki said, oblivious to anything else around him. "But I thought you guys were separated by something like eight years of age!"

Ema smiled at him. "Well, it was sort of one of those fate type of things." She turned to face Kuroodia. "We just happened to be born on the same day!"

The three men gaped, appalled. Kuroodia and Ema didn't notice their shock. "Anyway," Kuroodia continued. "We were going to spend the entire day doing girl stuff, since we're usually busy. I took the time off from work, and Ema had the day off anyway. We'll probably just shop and go eat cake together." Kuroodia looked up. "Why, is that not alright?"

Ukyo snapped out of his shock, and smiled at Kuroodia. "Well, don't simply expect us to pass up on this event. We'll let you two spend the day together, but we should at least celebrate together as a family when you get home. I'll make a cake for all of us." He held out his hand, grinning. "Deal?"

Kuroodia smiled back, and shook his hand. "Alright."

Ukyo secretly felt disappointed, for he held out his hand as a gesture for her to take it. But he saw that the gesture could easily be misinterpreted, so he tried to not let it get to him. "It's a deal, then."

As the girls left the room to go to bed, since they had to wake up early the next day, Tsubaki gave his brothers a mischievous grin once they were out of earshot. "Although… it'd be nice if we could surprise them with a little more something than 'cake'."

Azusa rolled his eyes. "What are you planning, Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki hopped up, excited. "I mean, what if we did something really extravagant for them? Like, a dance… or a ball!"

Azusa was about to sigh, until Ukyo stepped in, thinking. "Well… it'd be a bit last minute, but I think we can pull it off."

Azusa gave his older blond brother a bewildered look. "Wait, Ukyo, you're actually going to take him seriously?!"

Ukyo gave Azusa a smile. "I don't see why we shouldn't. Besides, it's not like we can't afford it."

Azusa rested his cheek on the palm of his hand. "I suppose."

Tsubaki jumped in, grinning. "And I know exactly how we should retrieve the girls… leave that to me and Azusa!"

Azusa put a hand up to his temple. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Ukyo straightened. "Quickly alert the other brothers about this. I'll make the preparations and plans."

Tsubaki saluted to Ukyo. "Yes, sir!" He said, pulling a poor Azusa in tow.

Ukyo shook his head, chuckling. He walked down the hall, to his bedroom. Once he had entered his password, he sat down on his swivel chair and began typing on his keyboard, turning the computer monitor on. _Hmm…_ he thought to himself. _I wonder where the nearest hotel is that has a ballroom and catered service…_

The following day, Kuroodia and Ema dressed up. Kuroodia was in white shorts and a blue tank top while Ema was in a beige skirt and purple shirt.

"We'll be heading out now!" Kuroodia shouted over to their brothers, where they were eating breakfast. Tsubaki, Azusa, and Ukyo walked over to where they were by the door, while the rest of the brothers paused from eating for a second to wave over at them.

"I hope you have fun today," Ukyo said, smiling as he leaned forward to give Kuroodia a peck on the forehead. Surprised, Kuroodia hugged him. "Thanks. We'll be back roughly right before the sun sets."

Tsubaki jumped forward, smiling excessively. "Yeah! Hope you guys have a great and wonderful time!"

"Uh… thanks?" Kuroodia said, arching an eyebrow.

"Thanks, Tsubaki." Ema said, smiling back.

"You okay?" Kuroodia asked, noticed the forced look on Tsubaki's face. "You look like you're trying not to punch someone."

Azusa quickly stepped in, giving Kuroodia a dazzling smile. "It's alright, he's just tired. Y'know, staying up all night to study his script part and stuff," He said, patting Tsubaki on the back hard, laughing. "Oh, well, look at the time, you two better get going before you miss the bus to town!" Azusa added hastily, pushing them out the door.

Kuroodia glanced at Azusa. "Uh… okay?"

Ema spoke loudly. "See you guys la-"

The door closed, and Tsubaki, Azusa, and Ukyo sweatdropped. After a moment of silence, Azusa spoke. "As an actor, Tsubaki, you sucked at acting just now."

Tsubaki turned to Ukyo, pointing a finger in his face and shouting. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST-"

Ukyo put his hand on Tsubaki's face, muffling his rants. "Yeah, alright. Anyway," Ukyo said, turning to the rest of the brothers at the table, who had stopped pretending to eat breakfast. "You all have your objectives before tonight's event. So get to it!"

"Right!" They all yelled in a agreement, standing up.

After walking to the nearest bus stop and boarding the bus, Kuroodia sighed. "And just when I thought I was getting used to them…"

Ema laughed. "Oh, you're used to them by now, I just know it."

Kuroodia gave Ema a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I guess."

Ema hooked her arm with her sister's. "Let's have fun today, Kuroodia. 'Kay?"

Kuroodia smiled more genuinely. "Alright."

The day went surprising according to plan, without any interruptions. They ate together at a nice bakery, went clothes shopping, and looked around at an expo. Everything was perfect.

As Ema and Kuroodia continued to look around, Ema found a ghoul mask at a costume store. Feeling a bit mischievous, she put it on, and snuck up behind her sister.

"BOO!" She shouted, throwing her arms around Kuroodia only to burst into giggles. Kuroodia, unfazed and unsurprised, laughed at her sister's failed attempt at scaring her. "Nice try," she chuckled, pulling the mask off of Ema's face and ruffling her hair. "But I think it's about time for us to start heading home. Wouldn't want to worry Ukyo or the others."

After walking to the nearest bus stop and boarding, Kuroodia and Ema sat in silence for a moment. After shuffling her feet for a moment, Ema looked over at her older sister.

"Hey, Kuroodia?"

"Mmm?" Kuroodia said, turning to face Ema.

"Do you…" she twiddled her thumbs, keeping her gaze on the ground. "Do you happen to be in love with any of our brothers, Kuroodia?"

Ema fixed her gaze on her sister, nervous. Surprisingly, Kuroodia smiled at her. "Yes, Ema. I do."

"If you don't mind me asking…" Ema said, biting her lip. "Who?"

Kuroodia sighed. "Honestly, I'm trying to figure that out myself, too. Family comes first, of course, but I managed to fall for two certain boys." Kuroodia rested her cheek on the palm of her hand. "Ukyo and Natsume."

Ema nodded. "I see."

Kuroodia smiled over at her sister. "Do _you_ happen to be in love with any of our brothers?"

Ema blinked in surprise, and slumped her shoulders. "I… I don't know."

Ema felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Surprised once again, Ema realized it was her sister's. "Well, when you know the time is right," Kuroodia said, smiling. "You'll make the right decision."

Ema's eyes filled with tears, as she hugged Kuroodia. "Thank you."

Kuroodia stroked Ema's hair, giving her a gentle smile. "You're welcome."

Around them, several people gushed at the heart warming scene. Kuroodia turned red faced. "H-HEY! WHAT'RE YOU 'AWWW-ING' ABOUT?!"

Pulling Ema by the arm, Kuroodia stormed out the bus doors. "C'mon, Ema," she grumbled. "This is our stop."

As they approached the steps to the Asahina residence, Kuroodia could feel Ema's arm shaking in her hand. When she turned to look at Ema, her younger sister bursted out laughing.

A smile growing on Kuroodia's face, she began to laugh at the situation as well. The two laughed together, walking towards the door.

 _A lot of crazy things happen in my life,_ Kuroodia thought. _But I enjoy every moment I endure, as long as if I endure it with my family._

 **A/N:**

Ack, Author-san isn't used to writing FanFiction on her tablet... xD Oh, well, at least I typed most of it on my computer. The brothers are planning something... So sorry about the cliff hanger! (Not really, actually, since the final chapter's gonna be AWESOME [And REEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY LONG!]) Ah, crap, I'm getting ahead of myself. Thank you for all of the views (Over 3,000! :O) and for the most recent favorites\followers. Author-san loves you all~! ;3

As a reward, let's take a sneak peek at what the brothers are up to...

Me: QUICK! THEY'RE COMING!

Everyone: BWA-HUH?!

Me: No, not really, I just wanted to see what you guys were up to. (Pulls down lower eyelid and sticks out tongue)

Ukyo: (Sighing) I seriously wonder how you manage to know exactly where we are and what we're doing at all times.

Me: (Facepalms, then throws arms in the air) Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you guys...?! I'm the author, for crying out loud!

Ukyo: Right, right. (Turns to Tsunami and Azusa) I think it's about time for you two to head out. Ready?

Tsubaki: (Puts on chauffeur hat) We're always ready.

Azusa: (Also puts on chauffeur hat) Then let's head out, shall we?

Ukyo: Masaomi, Wataru; Are all of the decorations in place?

Masaomi and Wataru: Yep!

Ukyo: Natsume, Subaru; Catered food?

Natsume and Subaru: Yeah!

Natsume: Although, Subaru tried to taste the cake while we were setting up...

Subaru: S-shut up! Did not...!

Ukyo: (Ignoring them) Kaname, Hikaru; Guest list?

Kaname and Hikaru: (Winking) Done!

Ukyo: Yusuke, Futo; Music?

Yusuke: (Grumbling) If you mean just me, then yeah.

Futo: (Scoffing) Tsk, I helped. I made sure you didn't screw up like you always do.

Yusuke: (Grabbing him by the shirt) Why I outta...!

Futo: Hey, lay off the tux. I don't want your grubby hands ruining the shine.

Ukyo: (Tick forms on head as a dark aura surrounds him) Louis, Iori; Dressing rooms and clothes?

Louis and Iori: All set.

Ukyo: (Regaining his composure) Alright. We have some time left, so I suggest you make whatever final details that need to be made. (Turns away from the group as the noise returns, and gazes at a small object that he pulls from his pocket)

Me: (Trying to look over at what he's holding) What's that, Ukyo?

Ukyo: (Startled, opens his mouth to say something, but I cover his mouth.)

Me: (Smiling) Don't worry about it. I already know what it is.

Ukyo: (Flustered) THEN WHY DID YOU ASK?!

Me: (Winks) Just to keep our readers on edge.

Everyone: See you next time, in the last chapter: "The Final Ball"! We love you, readers!

Me: Okay, now I'm _really_ sorry about the cliff hanger... xD


	11. The Final Ball

As Kuroodia and Ema walked up the stairs to the front door, laughing and chatting, both of their phones suddenly went off with text notifications.

"Huh? It's Tsubaki and Azusa…" they both muttered, and looked at each other.

"Dear beloved sisters," Kuroodia read outloud.

"Sorry about the last minute request, but, after all, it _is_ both of your birthdays." Ema continued.

"So, if you wouldn't mind, without asking any questions…" Kuroodia said, starting to glance at her sister.

"...Could you please get into the limo behind you?" Ema finished, glancing back at Kuroodia.

They both turned around. Sure enough, there was a sleek, black limousine parked in front of the house.

"I'm pretty sure that wasn't there before…" they both said in usion, staring at the car.

"Do you think we should trust it? I mean, I thought we were just going to have a girl's day out and then have cake with our brothers…" Kuroodia said to Ema, suspicious.

"I suppose we ought to at least see what this is about." Ema smiled at Kuroodia. "After all, it seems like they have something planned out for us."

"Okay…" Kuroodia muttered, as they both walked over to the limo.

Ema opened the door, and Kuroodia climbed in after her. They shut the door, and Kuroodia knocked on the tinted glass window, separating the driver's view from the back's.

"Um, excuse me, but where are we headed?" she asked, slightly concerned.

When the window rolled down, Kuroodia and Ema blinked in surprise. "Tsubaki?! Azusa?!"

They both tipped their chauffeur hats. Both were wearing matching tuxedos, except Tsubaki had a dark pink tie, and Azusa had on a dark blue tie.

"Good evening, my beauties!" Tsubaki greeted, winking. "You both look absolutely _ravishing,_ but I think we'll have to take you to get dressed into something a little more formal. It's a ball, after all."

"A _what…_?!" Ema said, confused.

Azusa smiled at Kuroodia. "As for what you asked, where we are going… that's a surprise."

Kuroodia muttered. "You guys are idiots."

They both laughed. "We love you, too."

The window rolled back up, and Tsubaki gripped the steering wheel, driving away from the Asahina household. Kuroodia glanced over at her sister, and Ema smiled, patting her hand. "I have a feeling our night will end up much more exciting than we planned."

When the limousine finally stopped, the side door opened. Tsubaki and Azusa stood, each holding out a hand to Kuroodia. "Please come with us."

Kuroodia sighed, and the brothers helped her out of the car. Once both sisters were out of the limo, they gaped at the extravagant hotel they were standing in front of.

"Guys, can you tell us why we're here…?" Kuroodia started, but Tsubaki put a finger up to her lips.

He gestured for her to follow him. "Come. Follow us."

The four walked down a hallway, until they reached the end, where there was a door. "There is an outfit for each of you that was specially picked out by all of the brothers for you two," Azusa explained. "Each outfit is identified with your name. When you're done changing, come out from the curtain on the other side of the room."

"But…" Ema started, and Tsubaki pushed both of the sisters forward. "Don't worry about the details! Hurry, our guests are waiting!"

"Guests?!" the sisters exclaimed, as they stumbled into a large dressing room.

One stall was titled "Kuroodia", and the other was titled "Ema". The sisters glanced at each other, and stepped into the dressing stalls.

After a few minutes, Tsubaki called from behind the curtain. "You guys ready?"

"Tsubaki, what is this thing…?!" Kuroodia blurted. "This is _way_ too tight around my chest! In fact, this dress is really slim! Why is it strapless?!"

"So, I'll take it you're ready?" Tsubaki teased from behind the curtain.

"Ah…!" Ema muttered. "I still have to zip this dress up…!"

Tsubaki blushed. He started to pull the curtain back, but Azusa smacked his hand away. Tsubaki glanced at him. "Patience, Tsubaki."

"Okay, ready!" Ema called. Tsubaki and Azusa could hear Kuroodia grumbling.

"Come on out!" Tsubaki yelled.

The sisters opened the curtain, and were greeted by an explosion of confetti. "Surprise!" all of their brothers and some guests cheered. "Happy birthday, Ema and Kuroodia!"

The brothers cheering stopped abruptly, as they stared at the two sisters. Ema was wearing a fluffy, white dress, trimmed with white lace. Even with her tall white high heels, she was still a bit shorter than most of her brothers.

However, what Kuroodia was wearing seemed to be the opposite. She was wearing a red ball gown, that closely hugged at her body, specifically her chest and abdomen, and flowed down into a drifting skirt, completed with red high heels. She, also, was shorter than most of the brothers.

Both sister's dresses fit their own personalities perfectly. Ema's dress was white and fluffy; innocent and cute. Kuroodia's dress was red and slimming; mature and attractive. The brothers tugged at the collars of their shirts.

Masaomi coughed into his fist, cuing the brothers to stop staring, and smiled at the sisters. "Happy birthday, you two. We decided to surprise you with a ball. Do you like it?"

"It's breathtaking," Ema said.

Kuroodia gestured to her own dress. "But was it really necessary for me to wear something like this?!"

"Are you kidding?" Kaname purred, holding Kuroodia's hands. He leaned forward, and Kuroodia leaned back, avoiding his piercing eyes. "You look sexy in that dress."

He leaned over to her ear. "If you want, I can take it off for you later."

Kuroodia smirked at him, sweat dropping. "In your dreams, you pervert."

Kaname smiled. "Oh, come on. Don't be like that."

Masaomi coughed again. " _Anyway,_ all of the Asahina brothers would like a chance to dance with you. Isn't that right, gentlemen?"

Kuroodia pulled away from Kaname. "Uh, not meaning to be snoopy, but who are all of the girls here?"

"Oh, these are some 'payed guests', as we should say. Some fans of Futo's, some classmates of Ema and Yusuke, some coworkers of ours, et cetera." Masaomi smiled. "We figured that we should dance with a few others to pass the time."

Kuroodia smiled. "Ah, I see."

Masaomi held out his hand. "Well, Miss Kuroodia? May I have this dance?"

Kuroodia smiled and placed her hand in his. "Of course you may."

The brothers had an outburst as Kaname groaned. "Oh, come on! I even used that pick up line!"

"Ema-chan! Ema-chan!" Wataru said, tugging at Ema's skirt. "Wanna dance?"

The brothers' expressions became blank and hardened. "Of course, Wataru!" Ema smiled, taking his hands.

"Yay, yay!" he cheered as he pulled her out to the dance floor. "Let's spin!"

Hikaru smirked. "So, the eldest and the youngest have them in their grasp, eh, Ukyo?"

Ukyo pushed his glasses up. "I suppose. Although, I wonder what will happen as each of us dance with her…" He gazed at Kuroodia, who was waltzing with Masaomi. Hikaru looked over at them, and smiled. He slapped Ukyo on the back. "You sure are head over heels in love with her, aren't you, Ukyo?"

Ukyo's face reddened as he turned away, readjusting his glasses. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." Hikaru smirked again.

"So, although you act rather annoyed, you can't help but admit that you enjoy it, can you?" Masaomi said, smiling down at Kuroodia as they danced.

Kuroodia smiled back, and rested her head on his shoulder. Masaomi's face reddened. "For some reason, I always feel comfortable talking to you, Masaomi."

Masaomi cuddled back, enjoying the moment. "Thank you. That means a lot."

After dancing for a few moments, Masaomi spoke aloud. "There's something I've been wanting to say for a while, Kuroodia."

"Oh?" Kuroodia said, looking up at Masaomi, surprised.

"You see…" he started, as they spun and twirled around a waiter carrying champagne glasses. Another couple bumped into them, and the waiter's tray began to fall towards Kuroodia's head. "Hey, watch out…!" Masaomi yelled, pulling Kuroodia into his embrace. He pulled her closer to his face so her ear was by his mouth, and he whispered as the waiter yelled and caught the tray.

Kuroodia's eyes widened. She stared back at Masaomi, who smiled at her and spun her around. She wasn't exactly sure, but she thought she had heard three words she hadn't heard in a long time.

 _I love you._

Hikaru passed them, and smiled. He was dancing with a young maiden, and stopped by Masaomi and Kuroodia. He offered his hand to Kuroodia, glancing at Masaomi. "May I…?"

Masaomi pulled Kuroodia closer, gave her one last smile, and spun her over to Hikaru. Hikaru immediately started waltzing with Kuroodia, and she looked back at Masaomi. With one hand in his pocket and the other up in a small wave, he watched her disappear into the crowd.

"So," Hikaru stated, pulling Kuroodia closer. "You look lovely."

Kuroodia smiled. "Same goes for you, Hikaru."

"Well, I do look lovely dressed both ways, don't I?"

Kuroodia laughed and shook her head. "Just shut up and keep dancing."

Hikaru smiled. "As you wish."

As the lights changed colors, both of their faces reflected them back to one another. Hikaru spun Kuroodia away from him, and she came into Kaname's arms. Hikaru smirked over at her, and waved as Kaname waltzed with Kuroodia.

"It's finally time that I get to dance with you," he smiled. "How I dreamed for this day to come."

Kuroodia rolled her eyes. "Is that another one of your lame pick up lines?"

Kaname faltered. "No, it is not…! I really meant that!"

Kuroodia smirked. "I see I finally got to you."

"Eh?"

Kuroodia laughed. "Never mind. You're too clueless to notice, anyway."

Kaname smiled. "You know, I'm not always a ladies man. In fact," he lifted her face to his. "I think I may have fallen for you."

Unlike her other encounters with her other brothers, Kuroodia stayed expressionless. "You're such an idiot."

Kuroodia spun Kaname around, and he called out in surprise. "Whoa…!" he yelled as he fell down onto the floor. When he looked back up, Louis was talking to Kuroodia, and she took his hand. Kaname watched them dance as he sat on the floor, and sighed dreamily. That is, until someone stepped on him.

"So, are you enjoying the ball so far, Ai?" Louis asked, smiling kindly. Kuroodia smiled back, surprised he used Juli's nickname for her. "Actually, yes." she looked back on the floor, where Kaname was being trampled by couples dancing. "Well, when I don't have to deal with idiots like him."

Louis smile widened. "Don't worry too much about him. He doesn't mean to be such a womanizer."

Kuroodia sighed. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Louis."

"Just have fun, okay?" And with that, he gently let go of her hand, and Iori took it.

 _I feel like I'm in a tennis match,_ Kuroodia thought. _And I'm the tennis ball._

Iori waltzed silently, staying charming and beautiful. Kuroodia closed her eyes, and took step by step with him. When she opened her eyes again, Iori's face was close to hers.

"You look beautiful tonight," Iori said.

"You look handsome, yourself," Kuroodia smiled.

Iori finally smiled back, and Futo stepped between them. "Hey, Prince Charming, mind if the star takes his rightful place?"

Kuroodia rolled her eyes, and Iori bowed to her. Futo began to dance with her, in the middle of the dance floor.

"I'm surprised you can dance well," Kuroodia said bluntly, ignoring Futo's entrancing grin.

"'Oh, come on. Don't be like that,'" he said, quoting Kaname from earlier. Kuroodia stared at him, unimpressed.

Futo finally sighed. "What will it take to impress you? You're the only girl that manages to completely brush me off. Even your stupid, flat-chested sister couldn't resist."

"Hey," Kuroodia said angrily, hitting his shoulders. "Don't talk about my sister like that."

Futo smirked. "Ah, _now_ you show emotion around me." He spun her around, and, without Kuroodia noticing it until the last second, had pulled her into a tango right lunge. Kuroodia shifted uncomfortably, Futo's hand right on her upper thigh.

 _This isn't the traditional tango right lunge,_ Kuroodia panicked in thought. _He moved his hand to my thigh to mess with me!_

"Futo." Kuroodia hissed. "Move your hand."

"Oh?" he said mischievously, moving his hand higher, and Kuroodia yelped. "Do you not like it?"

He leaned in closer. "Or, is it that you want more…?"

 _I was able to brush him off all those times,_ Kuroodia screamed in her head. _But I choose_ now _to freeze up?!_

"Futo." When they both looked up, Subaru was pulling Kuroodia away from Futo and holding her close. "That's enough."

Futo blew some hair out of his face, holding his head high. "Alright, fine. Ruin the fun for her." Futo started to walk away, and muttered loud enough for Kuroodia to hear. "Soon enough, I'll have both you and your stupid sister in my bed. You'll see."

Kuroodia muttered back as he turned away. "You're a pathetic excuse for a brother and an idol." Futo froze. "I just wanted you to know that."

Futo looked back, wide eyed. Both Subaru and Kuroodia had disappeared into the crowd. Futo's heart throbbed. _How… how did she…_

Once they were hidden in the crowd, away from Futo, Subaru hugged Kuroodia. "You okay?"

Kuroodia sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. He's just a stupid teenager."

Subaru blushed, and held out his hand. "Uh, if you wouldn't mind…"

Kuroodia smiled. "Sure."

They started off with an original waltz, but soon Subaru started tripping over his own feet, causing Kuroodia and Subaru to bump into each other.

"S-sorry!" Subaru stuttered, bumping heads with her.

Kuroodia rubbed her head and laughed. Subaru sheepishly smiled, and began to laugh, too.

When they finally managed to dance without stumbling, Subaru held her closer. Kuroodia looked at him, surprised.

"Tonight, right?" Subaru whispered. "You'll make your choice tonight?"

Kuroodia's lips trembled. Usually, with Subaru, she'd make a somewhat sarcastic reply, but this time, she couldn't. She quietly whispered back. "Yes."

Subaru nodded, his jaw stiffening. "Well, even if you don't choose me, just know that… that-"

Kuroodia was pulled away from Subaru. When Kuroodia turned around, Tsubaki was wrapping his arms around her.

"Mind if I have a turn?" Tsubaki said, smiling. He pulled Kuroodia away, and Subaru, after standing in shock for a moment, chased after them. "H-hey…!"

Both Tsubaki and Kuroodia had disappeared into the crowd, and Subaru held his hand up. "Kuroodia…"

Tsubaki smiled at Kuroodia as they danced. "I was just dancing with your sister, by the way. You both look _amazing_ in those dresses."

Kuroodia smiled. "Thanks. You don't look that bad as a chauffeur, either."

Tsubaki bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, madam." Kuroodia laughed.

"So, I take it that all of our brothers are switching out at the same time between me and Ema?" Kuroodia asked after a moment of silence, curious.

Tsubaki nodded. "The plan was to get you both to dance with each of us tonight to celebrate." Tsubaki's smiled turned mischievous. "And maybe get one of you to fall in love with us."

Kuroodia rolled her eyes. "Who's Ema dancing with now?"

Tsubaki thought for a moment. "Well, she danced with Wataru first, then Natsume, then Subaru, Kaname, Masaomi, Louis, and me." Tsubaki glanced over at Ema, who had come into view. "Now she's dancing with Iori."

 _Ukyo hasn't danced with anyone…?_ Kuroodia wondered. _Well, neither has Yusuke or Azusa. I suppose it's nothing important._

"I guess," Kuroodia said, smiling. "I've only got a few more to go, right?"

Tsubaki smiled back. "That's right." He began to lean forward to give her a peck, but, suddenly, Azusa stuck his hand in front of Kuroodia's lips. Tsubaki found himself kissing the back of his twin brother's hand.

"Azusa…!" Tsubaki said angrily. Azusa pulled Kuroodia from him, and moved through the crowd.

After they had lost him, Azusa smiled at Kuroodia. "Sorry. He's kind of… possessive."

Kuroodia cocked her head. "You didn't have to step in. I was alright."

Azusa lowered his head. He whispered to Kuroodia. "I… I know. It's just… well, I guess I'm just as possessive. I didn't want him, or anyone else, kissing you."

Kuroodia blushed. She found herself throwing her arms over him, pulling him in a hug. "It's alright, Azusa."

Azusa hugged back. "I'm sorry. I'm a selfish jerk."

They danced a little, enjoying each other's company. Soon, Natsume found them.

"May I have this dance?" Natsume said, offering Kuroodia his hand. Azusa held her slightly closer, but Kuroodia gave Natsume her hand and smiled at Azusa.

Azusa's eyes softened, and he gave her a weak smile back. He let go of her, and he watched as Natsume lead her to another spot on the dance floor.

"It's a shame," Azusa heard a voice, and turned to see Tsubaki. "I don't think either of us have a chance with her."

Azusa looked back at the crowd, Kuroodia and Natsume gone. "Yeah."

"Were my brothers bothering you?" Natsume asked as they went further into the crowd.

Kuroodia shook her head. Instead of being overwhelmed by these situations, Kuroodia decided it'd be best if she didn't let them affect her negatively. Smiling at Natsume, she added, "I'm having a lovely time."

Natsume smiled back. "That's good."

As they continued dancing, Natsume held Kuroodia closer. Glancing up at him, Kuroodia met his eyes. "So," Natsume said. "There's a rumor going on between our brothers that you're going to make your decision tonight."

Kuroodia sighed, and nodded again. Natsume gave her a small smile.

"Well, at least from what _I_ can tell, you're making the decision between me and Ukyo, right? So our brothers shouldn't have to worry."

Secretly, though, Natsume still felt unsure about Kuroodia's feelings for him, and said the statement out of pure hope. To his relief, Kuroodia laughed. "Yeah, that's right."

"Well," Natsume said, stopping to gaze down at Kuroodia. She looked up at him, feeling flushed. "Even if you don't pick me, know that I'll always love you, Kuroodia. And even if I find another woman to fall in love with," his eyes twinkled. "No one will ever be quite like you."

Kuroodia's eyes began to fill with tears. "Natsume…" She wrapped her arms around him, sobbing. "Thank you, Natsume. Thank you for everything."

Natsume stroked her hair, and raised her face up. "Hey," he smiled, wiping away her tears. "Don't cry. You're going to ruin your makeup."

Kuroodia laughed, wiping underneath her eyes. "Y-yeah."

Suddenly, Kuroodia felt a tug at her skirt. When she and Natsume looked down, Wataru smiled at them. "Can I dance with big sis now?"

Natsume and Kuroodia looked at each other, and smiled. "Sure, Wataru," Kuroodia said, giving Wataru a bright smile.

"Yay, yay!" Wataru cheered, pulling her by the arm. Natsume put both of his hands in his pockets, and smiled, watching them walk into the crowd.

 _I'll always love that woman,_ Natsume chuckled to himself.

As Wataru and Kuroodia found a spot on the dance floor that wasn't as crowded, Wataru shook his arms and spun around with Kuroodia, who was holding his hands as they laughed. After breaking out some moves, Wataru stopped abruptly.

"Are you okay, Wataru…?" Kuroodia asked, concerned.

"Hey, sis?" Wataru asked, looking up at her. "Do you like being in the family?"

Kuroodia put a finger up to her cheek, thinking for a moment. "Hmm… no, I don't like it, Wataru."

After staring at her, Kuroodia laughed, spinning him around. "I _love_ being a part of the family!"

Wataru laughed, too. "Yay!" Running forward, he hugged Kuroodia, smiling. "Thanks, sis."

The two heard someone clear their throat. When they turned, they found themselves looking at a red faced Yusuke. "Uh…" he said, glancing down at his younger brother. "Hey, little bro, do you mind if I danced with sis here?"

Wataru nodded happily. "Sure!" he said, putting Kuroodia's and Yusuke's hands together. Yusuke flushed, as Kuroodia smiled and waved to their younger brother.

"Have fun, Wataru!" she called, as he skipped away.

Yusuke cleared his throat again, and hesitantly put one hand on Kuroodia's waist, as she placed one on his shoulder. Yusuke looked off to the side for a while, before meeting her gaze. "Uh… hey."

Yusuke closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "I thought about what you said a while back, and…"

He opened his eyes. "I decided I'm going to tell her tonight."

Kuroodia's eyes sparkled. "Really? Great!" She paused, smiling. "I wish you the best of luck!"

Yusuke shook his head. "But that's not all."

Kuroodia cocked her head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Yusuke said, before bowing his head. "Thank you, Kuroodia. Without you, I never would've even _dreamed_ of telling Ema how I feel. Instead, I would've just cowered from the matter, too scared to face my feelings."

He threw his arms around Kuroodia, hugging her closely. "Just… I'm so happy that you became a part of the family."

Kuroodia hugged him back, touched and nearly in tears again. "I'm happy, too."

Yusuke began to laugh nervously. "Ah, geez… I'm so embarrassed."

Kuroodia chuckled along with him. "It's okay, Yusuke."

Suddenly, the main lights dimmed. Masaomi tapped his finger on the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Masaomi announced. "I'm happy to say that the birthday celebration for our lovely sisters," he paused, sending a kind smile over to Ema and Kuroodia. "Is going magnificently."

Everyone applauded. Masaomi waited for the applause to die down before continuing.

"I am now announcing the final dance for the night. So, please, take your partner's hand, and enjoy yourselves. As for our sisters…" Masaomi spread his arms wide. "Happy birthday. We all love you."

If the applause from before was big, the second round was huge. The music started up again, and Yusuke smiled.

"It looks like everything is going to plan." He nodded to Kuroodia, kissing her hand as he drifted away. "You'll thank me later."

"W-wait…" She stuttered, raising a hand. "What do you mean, 'plan'...?!"

But he was already gone, off to fulfill his objective. Which meant…

"May I have this dance?" A familiar voice said from behind Kuroodia. Her eyes sparkled, as she slowly turned, facing the outstretched hand of Ukyo Asahina.

Kuroodia blushed madly. Hesitating, her hand slowly drifted to his.

"I-I suppose."

Ukyo smiled, and, gently, took her hand, placing another at her waist. They glided across the floor, Kuroodia's dress swaying as Ukyo carefully placed his feet.

Hanging her head, she felt her blush burning on her face, quickly traveling down her neck and arms. _This is unbelievable…_ she thought, avoiding eye contact with Ukyo. Kuroodia carefully raised her head, scanning the crowd. _And what did Yusuke mean by that…? A plan?_

She spotted him, dancing with Ema. They were exchanging words every so often, Yusuke's body language awkward yet brave. Ema smiled at him, her face beaming.

 _I hope I find out what he meant by that soon…_

Ukyo spoke up, startling Kuroodia. He smiled, yet his expression was sad. "What's wrong? You look as if you'd rather not be dancing with me."

"O-oh…" Kuroodia said, averting her eyes. "No, it's not that… It's just…"

"It's just…?" Ukyo asked. Kuroodia said nothing, only hanging her head even more. Ukyo stopped dancing, surprising her.

 _It's just…_ Kuroodia thought, glancing up at him.

"...The… the music is distracting…" Kuroodia giggled nervously. She looked back down at the ground, embarrassed, as Ukyo studied her.

 _No. No, that's not it…_ Kuroodia sighed internally.

Ukyo smiled, and gently took her hands, leading her away from the dance floor. "Let's go somewhere more peaceful, then."

Flustered, Kuroodia stared at the back of his head, as they exited outside.

They continued walking for a while, before Kuroodia finally recognized where they were; the park.

"U-Ukyo?" Kuroodia stuttered. "Why are we…?"

Ukyo stopped walking, causing Kuroodia to stop as well, giving him a concerned look. He turned to her, giving her a small smile, and gently pulled her towards the fountain linked to the pond. "Come, sit."

Kuroodia sat down on the edge of the fountain, and Ukyo sat next to her. Glancing over at him, she repeated herself. "Ukyo, why are we…?"

Kuroodia faltered, as Ukyo's hand tightened around hers. Her eyes widened when she noticed the tears dripping onto his glasses as he stared at the ground.

Realizing he was crying, Ukyo let out a soft laugh without any humor to it. Letting go of Kuroodia's hand, he took off his glasses and quickly dried them. Kuroodia pursed her lips, and then looked at the ground.

"You've been hiding it, right?" She said, as Ukyo glanced over at her. Their eyes met. "The pain, I mean."

Ukyo looked down, not answering. Kuroodia continued.

"When I woke up in your room, and I yelled at you, you looked like I had just slapped you. Regardless…" she bit her lip. "You kissed me, and told me that you loved me."

"When I was in the hospital, and you walked in on what appeared to be your own brother making a move on me, you stood in the doorway, shocked. And yet, you made me smile…" she met his eyes again. "Even in that dreary situation."

"When I was released from the hospital, you avoided speaking to me, feeling that what had happened was your fault, and uneasy about the day before."

"When you found out that I had plans with Natsume for an entire day, you still encouraged me to enjoy myself, despite your feelings."

"When Yusuke asked to talk with me, you were distraught, but still assured me you were okay."

"And even just now…" Kuroodia took Ukyo's hand, as he blinked tears away. "You had a hard time watching me dance with the rest of our brothers, right?"

Ukyo stared at her. "How…" he blinked. "How did you know all of that?"

Kuroodia shook her head, a smile spreading onto her face. She faced him, tears filling her eyes. "Idiot."

Cupping her hands under Ukyo's chin, she brought his face closer to hers, into a kiss. Ukyo's eyes widened, and he put both of his hands on her wrists, kissing back. When they finally pulled away, they both laughed.

"I love you, Ukyo," Kuroodia whispered, their foreheads touching.

Ukyo chuckled. "I thought you'd never say it."

"Well, she did!"

Yusuke appeared from behind the fountain, along with Ema, their brothers, and all the guests. Kuroodia and Ukyo both gaped, as everyone cheered and clapped. Kuroodia looked over at Ukyo for an explanation, but he was just as confused as her.

"Great job, guys." He beamed. "I'm happy for you both."

Everyone else cheered again. Kuroodia took notice that Yusuke was holding Ema's hand. She smiled to herself. _To you, too._

Realization finally struck her, as she glanced around. _Wait… everyone heard what we said. That means…_

Kuroodia's eyes locked onto Natsume. He smiled at her, with a mix of sadness and happiness.

Kuroodia smiled back. 'Thank you…' she mouthed.

Natsume nodded. Suddenly, Wataru ran up to both Ukyo and Kuroodia.

"Ukyo! Ukyo!" Wataru said frantically, pulling on his shirt cuff. "The box!"

"Box? What box?" Kuroodia questioned, glancing over at Ukyo, who did a double take.

"Wataru…" Ukyo said in a low voice, trying to keep calm. "How did you know about that?"

Wataru beamed. "I saw you put it in your pocket earlier, before the ball!"

Ukyo groaned, as Kuroodia leaned over him, even more confused now. "What?"

Hesitating, Ukyo brought out a small, rectangular box from his pocket, and handed it to her.

"A gift," he said, smiling. "Happy birthday, Kuroodia."

Surprised, Kuroodia gently took the box, removing the lid. Inside laid a gorgeous, silver beaded necklace, detailed with pattern and precision.

"It's beautiful," Kuroodia exclaimed, smiling.

"Here, allow me," Ukyo offered, taking the necklace out of the box, and draping it over her neck. The two held their gaze, until Tsubaki broke the silence.

"Now, now, love birds, let's not get too carried away," he razzed. "Up you go!"

Together, the rest of the Asahina's lifted both Ukyo and Kuroodia above their shoulders, and carried them, heading back to the house while laughing and cheering.

Kuroodia beamed, holding Ukyo's hand while the rest of her family carried them home. _Thank you..._ she thought, tears of joy forming at the corners of her eyes. _Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for the most wonderful birthday ever._

 _Thank you… for everything._

* * *

Anyone crying tears of joy along with Kuroodia? Just me? Okay... ;-;

Holy crap, that took FOREVER TO WRITE! (For you statistic people, 4,783 words; 27,942 characters; and 23,268 characters excluding spaces! Not to mention four months of work...)

Speaking of four months, I will repeat it over and over once more: I'M SO SORRY! SCHOOL WORK IS SUCH A PAIN; IT PREVENTS ME FROM WRITING FOR YOU GUYS! T-T I FEEL REALLY BAD NOW, TOO, SINCE I LEFT IT ON A CLIFFHANGER!

Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone that has read my fanfiction; this was actually my first, and I made the dreaded mistake of posting before I actually finished the entire series! I've gotten over 4,000 views, 35 followers, and 31 favorites. To add to that, so many kind reviews and comments! :D

Brothers Conflict was actually one of the first romance animes I watched, and I found myself to enjoy the drama and plot behind it (Not to mention certain blond and orange haired Asahinas... **cough** ). I actually had a liking of Ukyo more, however, because of his skills and intelligence, and not to mention the fact that he reminds me a LOT of my boyfriend. Despite that, I gave Natsume a chance in this fanfiction, for both the reader and myself (It's a conscious thing).

As for my OC, "Kuroodia"... anyone notice that if you pronounce her name, it sounds a _lot_ like "Claudia"? Heyo, people; That's Author-san's real name!

I literally put my own name into Google translate to Japanese, which came up as "Kuroodia". Makes sense, because usually people do not pronounce "l's" when speaking Japanese. Cool fact of the day!

The reason why I (somewhat selfishly) put my name and what I _wish_ I looked like (I'm actually a tan, 5'1 fourteen year old half Asian with short, dark brown hair and _very_ little curves xD) was because, as I said, Ukyo reminds me a lot of my boyfriend, whom I've been dating for almost a year now (In the story, Kuroodia has lived with the Asahina family for a year). Starting to make sense? I plan to be an engineer in the future (At the time when I first started writing this series, a civil engineer), which is why that is Kuroodia's career. My boyfriend, ironically, wants to be a lawyer as well, and has blue eyes, blond hair, and (Used to have) glasses.

Kuroodia has bits and pieces of my personality as well; my humor, sarcastic nature, and ability to stress about anything and everything! She also has bits and pieces of Ema's personality, for both the character effect and the story's purpose. However, the sense of style comes from me; I usually wear a brown leather jacket or sports clothes, and my favorite red sweatshirt.

I figured I'd give you guys a bit of backstory on the character development; and if you didn't really care for it anyway, that's perfectly fine! (I'm surprised if any of you read through all of that, anyway! xD) I plan to write other fanfictions if time allows me to, including Ouran High School Host Club, Amnesia: Memories, and Free! Eternal Summer. I may even do crossovers!

If any of you would like me to write an epilogue (They're usually five to ten years after the ending chapter), please let me know!

As always, I love you all, and thank you for supporting me throughout this journey!

~ Author-san 


	12. Epilogue

~Twelve Years Later~

Kuroodia set down her bag, exhausted from work. She unlocked the door once she found her keys, and barely managed to step inside before she was pounced on.

Kuroodia fell to the floor, laughing as her son and daughter climbed on top of her. "Akira, Chikako! How was school?"

Akira and Chikako giggled as Ukyo walked over, pulling all three of them into a big hug. "My, what's this? Jumping your poor mother before she even makes it inside the house?"

Ukyo kissed both of his children on the cheek, and they ran off chasing each other. Stepping forward, Ukyo gave Kuroodia a gentle kiss and stroked her hair.

"How was work?" he asked softly, as Kuroodia relaxed in his arms.

"It was fine," she sighed, her voice muffled by Ukyo's shirt. "Some of the companies we're working with are so unreasonable. They want to tear up the ground for bigger buildings to expand, yet they don't realize the consequences…"

"I know, I know," Ukyo murmured. He pulled back from her, and their eyes met. "You'll figure something out. I know you will."

Kuroodia smiled, wrapping her arms around him. "Thanks, honey."

They walked together to the couch, an arm around each other's waist. Kuroodia looked up at Ukyo as they sat down. "How about you? Did the case go well?"

Ukyo nuzzled closer to her. "We won't hear the results until next week, but I'm confident in our argument." He smiled. "Now, stop worrying and just take it easy."

Akira and Chikako jumped up next to their parents, beaming up at them. Kuroodia turned on the television, flipping to a superhero movie.

Five minutes into the movie, Akira and Chikako were already fast asleep. Ukyo noticed that Kuroodia was rotating her wedding ring on her finger, as she did whenever she was deep in thought. He chuckled, kissing her head.

"I love you. I love _us_ ," He whispered softly.

Kuroodia smiled back, pressing a kiss on his nose and bringing their children closer.

"I love us, too. Forever."

* * *

I'm sorry if you find the epilogue short… T_T School and extracurricular activities are hitting me hard…

Welp, here it is. The complete fanfiction of Kuroodia and Ukyo Asahina! I truly hope you enjoyed my writing!

I noticed someone asked me to ship Kuroodia with Natsume back in January… sorry about that. If it makes up for your loss, I'll write a little update on him here!

* * *

Natsume had been editing the details to their most recent game for so long, he didn't even notice the time until his phone buzzed.

He yawned, glancing at the clock. "Already midnight? Jeez, I really need to watch myself..."

Natsume picked up his phone, noticing that he had missed texts. The majority were from Yusuke.

Yusuke: Hey, man! I know you're busy, but Ema came up with an idea since everyone can't meet up and see each other in person. Everyone decided to take photos and send them to each other, just to see how the others are doing. You should join in! Here, these are the ones we've gotten so far:

The rest of the messages from Yusuke were of their siblings, with the first one being Yusuke and Ema at their new apartment. Masaomi had taken a photo with a young child at work, Tsubaki and Azusa had taken a photo together from their last voice acting practice, and Wataru had taken a photo of himself at his college graduation party. The rest were pictures of his siblings enjoying their time either with friends or their own families. The only ones that hadn't sent photos yet were Subaru and Futo.

Natsume stopped at the photo with Kuroodia. She had clumsily taken a photo of herself with Ukyo and their children, all playing at a playground. She looked so happy, so free… just as she had twelve years ago, on her birthday.

Natsume sighed, as he went back to his messages. To his surprise, one of his coworkers had contacted him.

"It's Mai…" he said, opening the message. "Why would she…?"

Natsume read the message aloud. "Hello, Natsume! So, I was wondering… well, you know how we have a break coming up this weekend?"

Natsume paused, before continuing.

"If you didn't have any plans or anything, would you… like to do something together? Just the two of us?"

Natsume stopped, rereading the text again. And again. He stared at the words.

He thought for a moment. _Is this what I need? A chance?_

Natsume looked back at the picture of Kuroodia and her family. _Would she want this for me…?_

Smiling, he replied to Mai. After the message sent, he leaned back in his chair, almost feeling… whole. There was a spark of hope.

Natsume: I'd love to.

* * *

Alrighty, that's all I'm givin' ya~! I think I ended up writing more for Natsume, since I felt so bad… xD

Anyway, thanks for reading! If time allows me, I may be back with a whole new fanfiction… BUT THAT'S A MAYBE! NO GUARANTEES!

That's it for this fanfiction. Thank you readers! I love you all! _

~ Author-san


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